About the College

The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences plays a key role in national and international research initiatives in biological, physical, social, and economic sciences. The scope of the College has broadened dramatically since its founding in 1867, while its purpose remains focused on advancing scientific knowledge that makes life better, healthier, safer, and more profitable for people in Illinois and around the globe. The College offers 11 undergraduate majors with 39 different concentrations; the graduate programs of the College attract more than 500 students each year.

College of ACES Mission: Discovering, advancing, and integrating new knowledge to ensure nutritious and safe food, sustainable and innovative agriculture, strong families and communities, and environmentally sound use of natural resources to benefit the people of Illinois and the world.

Fast Facts: College of ACES

College Leadership

• Dean – Robert J. Hauser
• Associate Dean for Academic Programs – Laurie F. Kramer
• Associate Dean for Advancement – Margaret A. "Meg" Cline
• Interim Associate Dean for Extension and Outreach – Robert G. Hoeft
• Associate Dean for Research – Jozef L. Kokini
• Executive Assistant Dean for Administration and Finance – Alison B. Schmulbach

Academic Departments and Divisions

• Agricultural and Biological Engineering - K.C. Ting, Head
• Agricultural and Consumer Economics – Paul N. Ellinger, Head
• Animal Sciences- Neal R. Merchen, Head
• Crop Sciences - German Bollero, Head
• Food Science and Human Nutrition – Faye M. Dong, Head
• Human and Community Development – Robert Hughes Jr., Head
• Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences – Jeffrey D. Brawn, Head
• Division of Nutritional Sciences – Rodney W. Johnson, Director

Faculty and Staff, Headcount (2010-2011)

Student Enrollment (Fall 2010)

* Graduate program only

¹ ABE advises 95 undergraduate and 51 graduate students enrolled in the College of Engineering

² Total includes 5 extramural students

Educational Profiles of College of ACES Freshmen. Admission to the College of ACES as a freshman is based on a holistic review process. The middle 50% of students admitted for the fall semester of 2010 had the following test scores and high school class rank:
•    ACT 25-30
•    SAT 1750-1980
•    High School Class Rank 82-95%

Career Services. Nearly 500 companies and organizations posted 921 full-time jobs and 563 internships in the 2010-2011 academic year. One hundred of those companies participated in the ACES and Bio-Sciences Career Fair, which is hosted by the College of ACES. More than 700 students attended the Career Fair in 2010. More than 1,000 students use the services and resources of ACES Career Services annually. More information about ACES Career Services can be found at http://careerservices.aces.illinois.edu/. 

Graduate Destinations. Within six months of graduation, 84% of the 2009-2010 College of ACES B.S. recipients were placed.  Forty-eight percent (48%) had accepted employment; 29% enrolled in a graduate/professional program; and 7% chose to pursue other interests, such as the Peace Corps, Teach for America, travel, or the military.  More details regarding the destination of ACES graduates can be found at http://careerservices.aces.illinois.edu/.

Office of Academic Programs

ACES Academic Programs oversees undergraduate admission and academic performance standards, maintains student records, and provides career and placement counseling. Additionally, the office coordinates study-abroad, College-based scholarship programs, the ACES James Scholars honors program, undergraduate research programs, career services, and diversity programs. Graduate students may choose from programs offered through ACES departments and the Division of Nutritional Sciences.

The College of ACES also offers Professional Science Master's Programs in agricultural production, bioenergy, food science and human nutrition, and technical systems management in conjunction with the Graduate College.

MAJORS

Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Concentrations in

• Agricultural Engineering
• Biological Engineering

Agricultural and Consumer Economics
Concentrations in

• Agri-Accounting
• Agribusiness Markets and Management
• Consumer Economics and Finance
• Environmental Economics and Policy
• Farm Management
• Finance in Agribusiness
• Financial Planning
• Policy, International Trade and Development
• Public Policy and Law

Agricultural Communications (Jointly administered by ACES and the College of Media)
Concentrations in

• Advertising
• Broadcast journalism
• News-editorial journalism
  

Agricultural Science and Leadership Education
Concentrations in

• Agricultural Science Education
• Agricultural Leadership Education

Animal Sciences
Concentrations in

• Companion Animal and Equine Science
• Science, Pre-Veterinary and Medical
• Technology and Management

Crop Sciences
Concentrations in

• Agroecology
• Biological Sciences
• Crop Agribusiness
• Crops
• Integrated Pest Management
• Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology

Food Science and Human Nutrition
Concentrations in

• Dietetics
• Food Science
• Hospitality Management
• Human Nutrition

Horticulture
Concentrations in

• Specialty Crops
• Sustainable Landscapes

Human Development and Family Studies
Concentrations in

• Child and Adolescent Development
• Family Studies

Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
Concentrations in

• Fish and Wildlife Conservation
• Global Change and Landscape Dynamics
• Human Dimensions of the Environment
• Resource Conservation and Restoration Ecology

Technical Systems Management
Specializations in

• Construction Systems Management
• Environmental Systems Management
• Mechanization, Marketing and Technology Management Systems
• Production Systems
• Renewable Energy Systems

 Office of Research / Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station (IAES)

The College of ACES conducts frontier research in cutting-edge disciplines. Broad research areas within the College include: agricultural and biological engineering, agricultural economic and social sciences. agricultural information technology, biotechnology and bioinformatics, consumer and family well-being, crop and animal systems, food science and human nutrition, marketing and utilization of agricultural products, natural resource systems, and environmental sciences.

The College also operates field research centers located throughout the state as testing-grounds where researchers can explore practical applications that will ultimately benefit consumers, farmers, commodity groups, agricultural organizations, environmentalists, conservationists, government agencies, industry and business.

• University of Illinois South Farms
• Brownstown Agronomy Research Center
• Dixon Springs Agricultural Center and Illinois Forest Resource Center
• Northern Illinois Agronomy Research Center
• Northwestern Illinois Agricultural Research and Demonstration Center
• Orr Agricultural Research and Demonstration Center
• St. Charles Horticultural Research Center

University of Illinois Extension

As part of the nationwide Cooperative Extension System, U of I Extension offers non-credit educational programs in communities throughout Illinois. Extension programs translate recent scientific discoveries into education geared toward the needs of agricultural producers, parents, consumers, school-age children and community leaders. U of I Extension programs serve more than 2.5 million Illinois residents each year — including more than 260,000 children and teens who are part of Extension's 4-H youth program.Visit the University of Illinois Extension Website

College Units

Administration and Finance.The Administration and Finance office pro­vides leadership and
management for budgeting, finance, and human resources.
 
Advancement. This office provides leadership and direc­tion for development, alumni relations, and marketing for the College. Advance­ment staff, together with faculty and administrators, work with individuals, corporate donors and founda­tions to encourage support for College priorities. The Illinois 4-H Foundation provides leadership to fundraising initia­tives on behalf of Illinois 4-H programs. The ACES Alumni Association's board of directors reflects not only the Illinois roots of the University, but also its international graduates. Representative alumni from each department of the College serve on the board.

Funk Library of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. The ACES library contains more than 130,000 volumes and subscribes to 700 journals. The library’s collection covers a range of subjects, including general agriculture, agricultural economics, agricultural and biological engineering, agricultural history, animal sciences, conservation, consumer economics, crop sciences, environmental sciences, family studies, food science, forestry, home economics, horticulture, human and community development, nutrition, plant sciences, restaurant and hospitality management, soil science, textiles and water quality.

Information Technology and Communication Services. To support the College’s core activities of teaching, research and engagement, ITCS provides marketing services, computer support, web development, instructional support, product distribution, educational publishing, as well as services in news and public affairs, photography and video.

Total College of ACES Expenditures: FY10 - $173,072,112

• State and county appropriations, state contracts – 48.2%
• Revolving, Institutional & Other support – 18.5%
• Private gifts & contracts – 13.7%
• Federal appropriations and contracts – 19.6%

 Note: The state base includes both general revenue funds and tuition income. For FY10, the campus received about $1.76 of tuition for every $1 of general revenue funds.