Laura Appenzeller oversees the University of Illinois Research Park operations and development, manages the entrepreneurship programs at EnterpriseWorks technology incubator, and supports the University’s economic development efforts. She also serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Innovation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and supports special projects of the Chancellor’s Economic Development Council.

She is active in numerous regional organizations including serving as the current board chair of the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition; Hope Chicago board; the board of the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation; and she is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago. In the past she has been on the boards of the Association of University Research Parks the Illinois Technology Association, and ChicagoNEXT.

Laura was named “Woman of the Year” by Central Illinois Business Magazine in 2009; awarded the Entrepreneur Advocacy Award at the Champaign County Innovation Celebration, 2011; presented the 2013 Athena Young Professional Award; and awarded a Chancellor’s Academic Professional Excellence (CAPE) Award, 2015.

Laura is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Media and served as Student Body President at the Urbana-Champaign campus.

*formerly Frerichs