Marquette University has formed many partnerships with organizations that share our values, vision and innovation. Below are a few examples:

Northwestern Mutual

In June of 2018, Northwestern Mutual began a five-year partnership with Marquette and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to create the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute.

“As business needs change, the field of data science has accelerated rapidly," says John Schlifske, chairman, president  and CEO of Northwestern Mutual. "Preparing our future workforce and aligning curriculum with business needs is critical to the economic vibrancy of Milwaukee. Through our partnership with Marquette University and UW–Milwaukee, we will establish Milwaukee as a data science capital with leading academic programs and career opportunities.”

Benefits to Marquette created by the Northwestern Mutual partnership include:

• Funding provided for new research projects, expanded curriculum and new data science faculty.
• K-12 STEM learning opportunities and pre-college programming.
• Flexibility for expansion to include additional businesses and academic institutions.

With $15 million in corporate support and a $12 million investment from both Marquette and UW-Milwaukee, advancements in data science and technology learning will strengthen the talent pipeline in Milwaukee, making the city a national hub for technology, research, business and talent development.

Wintrust Corp.

In 2018, Marquette University and Wintrust, the parent company for Wisconsin’s Town Bank, began a 10-year relationship that seeks to serve students and the broader community. This collaboration is uniquely mission-oriented with the goals of increasing access to and affordability of a Marquette education, preparing students to succeed in making a positive impact on the community. Students will also be prepared to affect change in a market where Marquette and Wintrust are deeply invested, and where Wintrust seeks to grow its presence.

Many benefits from this partnership are already visible throughout campus and Milwaukee:

• Scholarship support for first-generation and low-income students from Milwaukee and Chicago area
• Support for the College of Business Administration’s Commercial Banking Program
• Elevated visibility for Wintrust as Marquette’s exclusive commercial and retail bank 
• Seed funding for a small business revolving loan fund for banking students to administer to local community enterprises
• Expanded branding opportunities for Wintrust at the Al McGuire Center and Fiserv Forum

“The Marquette University partnership with Wintrust and Town Bank couldn’t be a better fit… we’re growing in Milwaukee, so the opportunity to work with Marquette on initiatives consistent with our mission and growth goals is attractive to us.” – Jay Mack, president and CEO, Town Bank

Kohler Company

With a partnership spanning 100 years, Kohler Co. has touched the lives of many at Marquette with generous donations made through the Kohler Foundation Inc. Through its engagement with the Marquette community, Kohler has been integral in the creation of important facilities and valued opportunities for students at Marquette.

• The partnership has been foundational in the success of Marquette’s Center for Supply Chain Management.
• Integral in the creation of Marquette’s MBA program, which is available for professionals throughout Kohler.
• Created the Kohler Foundation Scholarship and the Kohler Company Scholarship, providing tuition support for students at Marquette in the Opus College of Engineering and the College of Business Administration.
• Kohler Co.’s donations led to the creation of the Ray and Kay Eckstein Hall.
• Other buildings that Kohler has provided fixtures and amenities for include the Al McGuire Center, Zilber Hall, Eckstein Hall and Engineering Hall.

Kohler Co. has given approximately $4 million in donations to the university, and since 1945, more than 160 Marquette alumni have worked or are working at the Kohler Company.

Badger Meter

To create opportunities for Marquette’s engineering staff, professors and students, the university has partnered with Badger Meter, a leader in the water industry. Badger Meter is responsible for managing flow measurement technologies and the development of control technologies for the flow of liquids used for a variety of applications.

This partnership promotes water technology research with the main focus being on the establishment and ongoing support of the national Water Equipment and Policy Research Center (WEP). This research center is a collaboration between industry and university efforts that drives innovation to advance the water industry.

As partners, both Marquette and Badger Meter have benefited from this relationship with new breakthroughs in technology and career opportunities for students. Some of the benefits created by this partnership include:

• Assisting in technology transfer agreements between Badger Meter and Marquette
• Advancing the work of the WEP to synergize the region’s assets to create the next generation of products and processes in the advancement of the water industry
• Connecting Badger Meter with a pipeline of talent and Marquette students with career opportunities
• Sponsoring research to pursue new technologies and advance product development
• Enabling Badger Meter to access royalty-free licensing of breakthrough technologies that drive innovation and competitive advantages through WEP