Industry Partners
Leading holistic workforce development and integration through industry-academic collaborations.
Accelerate to IndustryTM is a professional development program offered by UC Irvine that represents the interests of more than 6,000 graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.
A2i offers you opportunities to collaborate with UCI to shape the future of holistic and integrated workforce readiness at your company. Through A2i, you can recruit and directly impact the training of graduate and postdoctoral researchers. Our industry members help us prepare trainees in the following areas through participation in workshops, career panel discussions, site visits, lunch & learning.
- Leadership, teamwork, and communication
- Intellectual property and regulatory affairs
- Market and technology evaluation
- Project management
- Commercialization
- Finance
The A2i program includes five modules that offer a broad range of distinctive partnership opportunities:
A2i Modules
Job Search Strategies (JSS) is comprised of two parts: talks from industry speakers and workshops led by the director of A2i and other professional development experts. Topics covered in this module include: career exploration, business communication, application materials, interviewing, salary negotiations, networking, informational interviews, and corporate culture. JSS’s speakers and workshops frequently change so students can benefit from taking this module multiple times.
JSS will be offered as a pilot program in the fall of 2023. Contact Jennifer Ellinger for more information on how to get involved.
Students in all stages of their graduate program participate in this module. Industry speakers come from a variety of industries including private sector, non-profit, and government.
We selectively recruit graduate and postdoctoral researchers in response to each company’s specific recruitment needs. Our recruitment methods ensure that participants in the site visit are interested in building their careers with the respective company. Contact Jennifer Ellinger for more information.
This module establishes opportunities for industry companies to work directly with UC Irvine Graduate Division for recruitment. We recruit outstanding candidates who match internship criteria, and we prepare application portfolios to assist company liaisons with the selection process. Contact Jennifer Ellinger for more information.
This practicum is a 6-to-12-week development series during which UC Irvine graduate students and postdocs learn to leverage their technical backgrounds and creativity to move ideas and projects forward as a part of a cross-disciplinary team. Each partnering company will work with a multidisciplinary team on a project that is relevant to the company. Moreover, we recruit the team members in response to the company’s needs. Contact Jennifer Ellinger for more information.
This is an intensive experiential learning opportunity that prepares UC Irvine graduate students, postdocs, and alumni for the corporate environment. The Accelerate to Industry Immersion module includes a week-long immersion experience for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers that includes signature A2i content along with events and activities unique to the Immersion Week. Coming to UCI in the summer of 2024. Contact Jennifer Ellinger for more information.
Our Pilot Partners
Thank you to our current industry partners: Phonexa, Cie, Raytheon, Leonid, Altura, Edwards Lifesciences, Rachio, Orange County Business Journal, and growing!
