The purpose of the program is to provide an informal setting in which undergraduate students could get to know the faculty better and vice versa. Pearah then set out to make the program a success. Faculty members announced the program during class and at the student advising fair. It's an informal setting wherein one professor and up to three students meet for lunch in the Illini Union Ballroom. Arrangements for the lunch are the responsibility of the students, with approval required a week in advance.
Reservations are limited to one table of four per day.
The department wanted to make sure the meetings were enjoyable as well as an opportunity for uninterrupted technical discussions. Students aren't the only ones who suffer from bouts of awkwardness. So far, topics at PowerLunch meetings have run the gamut of everything from lasers to lasagna. Primarily, however, the goals of the lunch meetings are to foster a rapport between students and professors, and to promote project opportunities, and career and course guidance for students. Professors benefit by becoming better advisors as they interact with students in a relaxed setting.