On a bright, sunny day in early February, representatives from the City of Champaign, the University of Illinois, the Research Park, and Yahoo gathered for a ground-breaking ceremony on the site of a new 40,000 square foot facility for Yahoo.

Representatives from the City of Champaign, the University of Illinois, the Research Park, and Yahoo gathered for a ground-breaking ceremony in early February. Photo courtesy of the Research Park at the University of Illinois.

With the new building will come 80 new employees hired by Yahoo over the next two years for their Champaign location. The Champaign office focuses on the company’s online digital advertising, and is currently the largest employer in the Research Park.

In a press release, Scott Burke, Yahoo’s SVP of Advertising Technology, said, “I’m thrilled to announce our expansion in Champaign. Yahoo has benefited from the world-class engineering talent at Research Park that contributes to our advertising and data systems. We look forward to growing our team and continuing to be a valued member of the local community.”

“This Research Park has been a great home for the Yahoo Champaign team. I know that people love working here at Yahoo Champaign,” said Cathy Singer, Yahoo Champaign Site Director. “They like working on the latest technology, they like working on really challenging problems, and tackling them with a smart, diverse group of people who know how to work hard and have a little fun in the process.”

CS Department Head Rob Rutenbar and CS Professor Roy Campbell attended the ceremony. “Yahoo’s dramatic expansion is a wonderful testament to the attractiveness of the local ecosystem—and the especially the local pool of computing talent,” said Rutenbar.

Media coverage of the event:

• News-Gazette: Yahoo to add 80 Jobs at Research Park Site
• Daily Illini: Yahoo Expansion to Come to University’s Research Park
• Talking New Media: Yahoo Breaks Ground on Expansion of Technology Hub in Champaign, IL
• WCIA News: Yahoo Expansion Creating Jobs