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Field Trips
In addition to in-depth classroom study, the MS-Tech program includes both on-campus and off-campus presentations by executives related to the field of technology management, thus allowing students the opportunity for interaction and to learn more about the current global business and technology scenes. Additional out-of-classroom activities are designed to provide unique opportunities for students to expand their knowledge of how firms function by visiting these firms to hear from and speak with corporate leaders. The MS-Tech program takes short field trips to regional cities such as Peoria, Springfield, and Chicago as well as a weeklong trip to San Francisco. The weeklong trip is part of the core curriculum of the MS-Tech program.
Horizon Hobby in Champaign, IL
22 years. We were given a chance to speakwith the President of the company and ask questions about how the company is run. All in all, this was a unique educational opportunity afforded to the MS-Tech students.
| Champaign, Illinois is home to the world’s two largest hobby store suppliers – Hobbico and Horizon Hobby. On November 30, 2007, MS-Tech toured the Horizon Hobby headquarters and listened to speakers talk about the development of their company. Horizon Hobby is an international distributor of radio control (RC) cars, boats, planes, and helicopters as well as other hobby related items. They were founded in1985 and have come a long way in |  |
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On Tuesday November 29, 2007 the MS-Tech Program took a trip to the Motorola Global Headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois. There we were taken through a historical tour of the company. This tour culminated in their future technologies room. There we were given a tour to various “pods” which presented new innovations that Motorola has been developing. These ranged from proprietary technologies, like syncing TVs together throughout a house, to products focused on improving the quality of life, like the mobile phone charger powered by a bicycle. The new technologies were a highlight of the tour to both showcase the innovations of Motorola as well as their humanitarian efforts. After a nice lunch, the students were able to listen to talks by two upper-level managers at Motorola. We learned about both developing technology and how to develop a positioning strategy. |
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Archer Daniels Midland in Decatur, IL
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On November 2, 2007, the University of Illinois’ MS-Tech Program took a trip to tour Archer Daniels Midland’s (ADM) global headquarters in Decatur, Illinois. Upon arrival, students were guided around the East and the West plants on a bus. The tour guide provided commentary on the different processes that were underway in the various buildings. Highlights included the High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) plants, the coal storage/burner unit, and the massive water cooling towers. ADM helps to reduce their coal emissions by burning processed tires along with the coal. This helps to reduce the SO2 released into the atmosphere. After the guided bus tour, the students were treated to a walking tour through one of the factories. They watched as HFCS was bottled and labeled on a massive scale. The bottles were also produced at the factory – this process took less than 10 seconds per bottle! The day was capped off by eating lunch with MS Tech alum Yoshi Masumota. Yoshi talked to the students |
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