Homecoming

Illinois Tech is home to nearly 1,800 trees representing almost 70 species —including a strong collection of native trees species with pinnate and bipinnate leaves that exhibit yellow fall foliage. The creation of The Alphawood Arboretum at Illinois Institute of Technology enhances Mies Campus’s dendrological resources and protects an important cultural landscape while providing opportunities to extend the university’s educational and community outreach missions. Join us at our annual tree planting ceremony!

Location: Fountain outside of Perlstein Hall

Illinois Tech’s Athletics Hall of Fame honorees will be recognized for their accomplishments at this annual induction ceremony. This event is invite-only.

Location: Hermann Hall Ballroom 

All are invited to check out the amazing student talent showcase! Featured performances include singing, dancing, poetry, beatboxing, sketch comedy, and more. Stop by to show your support as students compete for cool prizes.

Location: The Bog

Scarlet Hawks Men’s Volleyball (MVB) welcome our alumni to our first ever MVB Alumni Grass Volleyball Tournament. Play with a current team member in our rotating pairs tournament format or stop by to watch, then join us at the reunion tent for refreshments at 2 p.m.

Schedule and adjustments will be made depending on participation.

Location: Farr Field

Don’t miss the first screening of HARDWIRED. The documentary follows the founders of Chicago-based Influit Energy, including Illinois Tech faculty and alumni, as they attempt to commercialize a new type of renewable electric fuel. The event will feature premiere introduction and program moderation by Illinois Tech alumnus and star of the Netflix series Hack My Home, Brooks Atwood (ARCH '99).

If you could slip quietly into the shadows and watch a scene unfold where brilliance meets purpose, you’d see the birth of something mighty. In the first episode of "HARDWIRED" you’d find yourself amidst a room where men and women wrestle with their dreams and fears. "Influit Energy", a nascent hope from the heart of Chicago, unveils their creation—a fuel that defies the ordinary, a non-consumable, non-combustible, rechargeable electric marvel. The air is thick with possibility. John Katsoudas (PHYS ’97, M.S. ’04), Elena Timofeeva, Ph.D., and Carlo Segre, scholars turned pioneers with a sage of science, they stand at the crossroads of past knowledge and future promise! Their work promises a dawn where the burdens on our planet might lift. As they prepare to showcase their breakthrough, the weight of their endeavor hangs in the balance, a testament to human ingenuity and the silent, relentless pursuit of a better world.

Location: MTCC Ballroom

Illinois Tech’s 2024 Alumni Award recipients will be recognized for their accomplishments at this annual ceremony. This event is invite-only.

Location: Hermann Hall Ballroom

Director, Mies van der Rohe Society Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M.A.S. ARCH. ʼ01, Ph.D. ʼ17) will lead a walking tour of Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus and highlight the architectural significance of the buildings on campus.

Location: Quad

Former men’s and women’s swim athletes are invited to participate in an alumni swim meet. Spectators are welcome to cheer on their fellow Scarlet Hawks.

Location: Keating Sports Center - Ekco Pool

You and your family can visit the reunion tent to mingle with students and fellow alumni! Enjoy music, lawn games, balloon artists, and other family-friendly activities. A Chicago-style hot dog bar, beer, wine, and other refreshments will be provided beginning at 3 p.m. while supplies last.

All are welcome at the tent anytime from 2–6 p.m., but we encourage you to stop by during your milestone anniversary or affinity group meet-up for a special photo opportunity! This year, milestone years will be celebrated at predesignated times and will include group photos at the following:  

• Leadership Academy | 2 p.m. 
• Golden Society (Class of 1974 & prior years) | 2:15 p.m.
• 70s Decade (Milestone Class of 1979) | 2:30 p.m.
• 80s Decade (Milestone Class of 1984 and 1989) | 2:45 p.m.
• 90s Decade (Milestone Class of 1994 and 1999) | 3 p.m.
• 00s Decade (Milestone Class of 2004 and 2009) | 3:15 p.m.
• Young Alumni (Class of 2014 through 2024) | 3:30 p.m.
• Scarlet Hawks Athletics | 3:45 p.m.
• Fraternity and Sorority Life Organizations | 4 p.m.
• African American Alumni Association (4A) | 5:30 p.m.

Location: Quad

If you are interested in scheduling a photo meet-up time for your class year or affinity group that is not already listed, please email us directly at alumni@iit.edu. 

Director, Mies van der Rohe Society Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M.A.S. ARCH. ʼ01, Ph.D. ʼ17) will lead a trolley tour of Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus and highlight the architectural significance of the buildings on campus.

Departure Times: 
2:15 p.m. 
4:15 p.m.

Location: Quad

The Class of 1974 (this year’s 50th reunion class) was one of the last graduating classes to rely on slide rules rather than electronic calculators. The first portable scientific calculator, the Hewlett-Packard HP-35, was introduced in 1972, with Texas Instruments and others following in 1973–75. Before this, engineers, scientists, architects, and other technical professions relied on slide rules, nomograms, and other analog tools.

Join us as we look into the analog computational tools used by generations of Illinois Tech students. There will be a hands-on presentation on the history and use of these tools, followed by time to share your experiences with them. The display is currently open for viewing at your convenience with this special hands-on presentation taking place during Homecoming Weekend.

Location: Paul V. Galvin Library 

Join us to connect with fellow alumni and delve into the amazing world of mentoring! This program is designed to cultivate meaningful, professional mentor/mentee relationships between the university's accomplished alumni and students. Alumni with degrees from all class years, programs, and schools may participate as volunteer mentors; current degree-seeking students may participate as mentees. These mentoring relationships are meant to provide valuable support and guidance to current students as they navigate their careers, explore new career paths, or consider graduate school. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a thriving community dedicated to shaping student success! Questions? Please contact Alumni Mentorship and Elevate Tech Talent Coordinator Emily Ginger at eginger@iit.edu. We look forward to meeting you!

3–3:15 p.m.: Registration
3:15–3:45 p.m.: Alumni Mentor Mixer—all alumni are welcome
3:50–4 p.m.: Student Registration—all students are welcome
4–4:30 p.m.: Student and Alumni testimonials

Location: MTCC Ballroom 

Join us for the university’s annual Homecoming carnival from 4–8 p.m. with food trucks, games, and giveaways! Limited meal tickets available for students only. Food trucks will accept cash or credit cards for alumni, faculty, and staff.  

Location: Gunsaulus Field

Enjoy a mixer for alumni and friends to reconnect! Meet us at the reunion tent at 5 p.m., then join for group photo at the Nate Thomas Memorial Meadow at 5:30 p.m. followed by a special program in the MTCC Ballroom from 6–7:30 p.m.

Location: Quad, followed by Nate Thomas Memorial Meadow, then MTCC Ballroom

Cheer on the Scarlet Hawks at the women’s volleyball game as they take on Andrews University!

Location: Keating Sports Center 

The east lobby of Michael Paul Galvin Tower is home to Illinois Tech’s first physical-digital interactive experience. As an institution that cares deeply about advancing innovation through the power of our collective difference, we invite you to explore the Illinois Tech difference—and add your own—through experiential touchpoints designed just for you.

Location: Galvin Tower, East Lobby

Building, Breaking, Rebuilding: The IIT Campus and Chicago’s South Side (University of Minnesota Press, 2024), was co-edited by professor Michelangelo Sabatino and professor emeritus Kevin Harrington. Specially designed vitrines filled with Armour Institute / IIT, Bronzeville, and Chicago memorabilia metaphorically transform IIT’s Mies Society Gallery into a “living room,” a place for conversations and discoveries to occur. The memorabilia—ranging from historic postcards to student yearbooks—tell the story of people and places in and around Bronzeville. An exhibition website provides a digital platform that expands access to materials featured in the exhibition and book. The website will also host a film by South Side filmmaker Carlos Javier Ortiz [Brown Planet Productions] and Murmur Ring that examines the layered history of IIT’s campus through contemporary voices.

Location: Galvin Tower, West Lobby

Visit The Bog, a cool, subterranean on-campus hangout spot that has been a popular gathering space for students since 1962! Enjoy bowling, video games, billiards and more.

Location: The Bog

Directions

Automobile

From the North

Dan Ryan Expressway east to 31st Street exit, continue south to 33rd Street, turn left (east). Metered parking is located along Federal Street north and south of 33rd Street, and in the Visitor's Parking Lot (Lot A4) at 32nd Street and State Street.

From the South

Dan Ryan Expressway west to 35th Street exit, continue north to 33rd Street, turn right (east). Metered parking is located along Federal Street north and south of 33rd Street, and in the Visitor's Parking Lot (Lot A4) located at 32nd Street and State Street, on the east side of State Street.

From Lake Shore Drive

Exit at 31st Street, go inland (west) to State Street, turn left (south). Metered parking is available in the Visitor's Parking Lot (Lot A4) located at 32nd Street and State Street, on the east side of State Street.

Parking

Metered parking is available to all visitors and located along Federal Street north and south of 33rd Street, and in the Visitor's Parking Lot (Lot A4) located at 32nd Street and State Street, on the east side of State Street. Special event parking may be available in other parking lots on campus. Please contact Access, Card, and Parking Services for more details about parking, or visit the parking web page for current parking locations at www.iit.edu/cbsc/parking. Please call the parking administrator at 312.567.8968 if you need assistance in finding parking.

Airport

Illinois Tech and Chicago are served by O'Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport. Public transportation is available from O'Hare and Midway airports, and limousine or taxi will take you from all airports to Illinois Tech's campus. View the City of Chicago's Airport System Home Page for more information.

Train

Amtrak and Metra commuter rail trains run to Union Station, with additional Metra commuter trains running to Ogilvie Transportation Center. From these stations, take the Rock Island Metra train from LaSalle Street station to 35th Street / "Lou" Jones station, CTA's public transportation, or a taxi to Mies Campus.

Bus

Travel to the Greyhound or Continental Trailways terminals, then take a taxi or public transportation to Mies Campus.

Public Transportation

• CTA Red Line (Howard-95th/Dan Ryan) to Sox-35th station
• CTA Green Line (Ashland-63rd or 63rd-Cottage Grove) to 35th-Bronzeville-IIT station
• CTA bus lines with stops on Mies Campus (#29-State, #35-35th, #24-Wentworth, #4-Cottage Grove)

Visit the CTA website for schedules and bus routes.

Click here for a campus map

Are you planning to visit Illinois Tech from out of town? If so, take advantage of our preferred hotel rates at the Hiltons at McCormick Place.

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