Meet the Associate Director!
Name: Kaylee Hillinger
Titles: Associate Director of Industry Relations
Kaylee Hillinger joined our team in June of 2023 to make connections between our programs and extension efforts to the industries in which they serve.
Tell us about your background!
I am a two-time alumna of the University of Illinois, with a B.S. in Animal Science and an M.S. in Animal Agriculture Production. Most of my professional experience is in the swine industry across the areas of production, research, sales, and marketing. I grew up on a hobby farm, thought I wanted to be a veterinarian, and changed my mind when I started to get a grasp on the wide breadth of opportunity within the animal health industry and pivoted!
What are your special interests in your field of work?
I love bringing people together to solve problems, build connections, and improve themselves. It’s important to help animals grow and thrive, but equally important to support their human caretakers and industry leaders. The veterinary science and animal health community thrives when everyone works together!
What’s your role in the College of Veterinary Medicine and what do you enjoy the most about it?
I currently serve as the Associate Director in Industry Relations for the Online Programs and Extension team. One of the aspects of my role that I find most rewarding is witnessing the impact of our program graduates as they apply the knowledge and skills, they’ve acquired to make meaningful contributions to the animal health and veterinary community. It’s truly exciting to hear them discuss how they’ve improved their critical thinking, problem-solving approaches, and understanding of population medicine dynamics, as a result of our programs. I also love having the opportunity to assist industry professionals in finding solutions to their challenges by connecting them with people across both the college and campus who possess the necessary expertise or helping them uncover the solutions by working together!
What do you like to do in your spare time?
My husband, Derek, and I have two fun, energetic, and amazing kids! Ada is 3, and Myles is 2. We are expecting our third baby in August. These days, we don’t have a lot of “spare time”, but we love to fill our days with traveling to experience new cultures, being outdoors, and exercising. We have a couple of acres in central Illinois where we spend our evenings finding adventure, enjoying nature, and helping our children grow their imaginations. Hiking looks a little different with toddlers in tow, but we’ve hiked in several places around the world and hope to instill that passion in our kids.
Learn more about Kaylee here!