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Jenni Szolwinski recently entered the role of Director of Industry Relations at CEC. Szolwinski earned her Master's in Organizational Communication from Purdue University and worked for both Purdue and Union College in Schenectady, New York in student activities and residence life. After taking time off to be with family, she started at the West Chester-Liberty Chamber Alliance where she became the Director of Marketing and Public Relations. She then had the opportunity to get back into education as the Cyber Academy Program Coordinator at Lakota Local Schools, where she established strategic partnerships with industry professionals to enrich curricular and co-curricular activities for a nationally recognized 200-student high school cybersecurity program.

“The opportunity to come to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú was exciting because it offered a chance to build upon my work with industry, and also get back to higher education," said Szolwinski, whose previous work supporting ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú students includes two years as Assistant Director of Employer Relations at the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Center for Career Exploration and Success. "Being the Director of Industry Relations is the perfect blend for me, because I still get to do that career center work, but I'm also able to be housed here directly in the College of Engineering Computing, and really focus on the students here and what their specific needs are.”

We caught up with Szolwinski for a Q-and-A on her background, career advice for students, and unique skills she brings to the role.

What inspired you to work in industry relations? 

I worked at a chamber of commerce, connecting with businesses, and then I had the opportunity to move to Lakota Local Schools, one of the largest public school districts in Ohio, which offers a really unique high school cybersecurity program. They brought me in to be their program coordinator, and I worked on industry relations for them, connecting them to cybersecurity professionals and creating curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular opportunities for the students there. So the opportunity to come to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú was exciting because it offered a chance to continue to build upon my work with industry, and also get back to higher education.

Can you share a proud moment from your career that led you here? 

When working with the Lakota Cyber Academy at Lakota Local Schools, we had an opportunity to welcome Ohio's Lieutenant Governor for a visit. He was honoring one of our outstanding teachers who received a National Presidential Award for cybersecurity education. It was my role to oversee all aspects of the lieutenant governor's visit. We brought in Chief Information Officers from some of the biggest companies in Cincinnati to come and have a round table with the Governor’s Cybersecurity Strategic Advisor and to be part of that whole event. It was such a great way to give back to our corporate partners and help them connect to the state government, while also still being part of what we were doing with our program.

How do you plan to connect students with industry partners at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú CEC? 

I'm really looking to understand what it is that a company would like to achieve in their interaction with ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú by creating a custom plan that works for them. For some companies, that's setting up a table in Benton and talking to students as they're walking to class. For others, it's having an information session where students can come and learn about the company and their opportunities, and help students learn what the roles are that are available at that company or what they're looking for. I’m also excited to help industry partners connect with classroom presentations, design projects, student organization meetings, career fairs, and other engagement opportunities.

How will you help CEC students prepare for life after graduation?

Experiential learning opportunities are so important for helping students to understand what their opportunities look like after graduation. I'm hoping that we can provide more opportunities for students to go on site visits, see the practical application of the work that they're doing, and to see it out there in the real world and have those opportunities to network with employers and other people that are doing the work.

What is something you are looking forward to when working with engineering and computer science students? 

I'm excited to get to know more students and get a better sense of what it is that students are doing. I want to know what they are looking for, what's appealing to them, what's not appealing to them. It will really help enhance the work that I do with the companies, because I'll have a better understanding of who our students are.

What advice would you give to CEC students starting their job search? 

Start early and often. I encourage students to come to the career fair their very first year. Even if you're not looking for a job or internship role right away as a first-year student, come and get comfortable talking to an employer. It's a great way to practice. I highly recommend that students meet with one of our career advisors. I also think it's really important to get involved in a student organization, to develop some of those skills that you don't necessarily learn in a classroom, and to be able to showcase those skills to an employer.

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University's 2025 Spring Career and Internship Fair is Wednesday, February 19 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Millett Hall. CEC students can learn more and get tips to prepare .