Brian Boyenga and the Career Paths Through UIC Liautaud

Do you have questions about a graduate business degree from UIC Liautaud? We have admissions counselors on standby ready to discuss your education and career. In this post, I’ll introduce one of our newest Graduate Admissions Counselors, Brian Boyenga.

Brian Boyenga came to UIC Liautaud from Luverne, Minnesota by way of Minneapolis and two other admissions offices. “I grew up on a 100-year-old family farm outside of Luverne,” he says. “My parents still live there, and I enjoy visiting and getting a break from city life. Farming still plays a large role in the lives of my entire extended family.” Boyenga left the Luverne area to attend Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After graduation, he took an admissions position at the University of South Dakota and later moved on to Cornell College. During his time in admissions at Cornell College, Boyenga’s husband, Travis, landed a job in Chicago. The two of them moved here from Minneapolis in 2014.

After two years of life in Chicago, Boyenga became interested in admissions work for an urban university. “I began to see the close ties between the city’s universities and local organizations and businesses,” says Boyenga. “UIC, it turns, out, is one of the best places to turn these ties into opportunities for students.”

In his new role at UIC Liautaud, Boyenga assists incoming students who are eager to start their graduate business degrees. “Every day is a chance to meet new and prospective students, and to learn about their goals, about what makes graduate business education valuable to each of them,” Boyenga notes that Liautaud students span an especially wide range of ages and backgrounds. To accommodate them, UIC Liautaud offers a range of flexible graduate programs. “The more opportunities I have to talk with students about their backgrounds and career goals, the better I can advise their career paths and choices of graduate programs,” Boyenga says.

When he’s not in his University Hall office, Boyenga is often nearby in the South Loop, his new neighborhood. “I love cycling,” he says, “so it’s great to be near the lakefront trail, which connects me to so many neighborhoods up and down the lakeshore, making it all the easier to check out the summertime neighborhood festivals. But even in my own neighborhood, I have a lot of favorite destinations: Umai, Flo & Santos, Asian Outpost, Belly Up, and maybe best of all, places like UIC Campus, Ping Tom Park, or anywhere else with a view–I love watching the sunset reflect off the buildings as the skyline starts lighting up.”

For help finding the UIC Liautaud program that best suits your own career goals, contact Brian at 312-996-5503 or bboyenga@uic.edu.