The Illini Pullers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign secured first place in the 2026 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) International Quarter-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition on May 28th through 31st where teams design ¼ scale tractors throughout the year that are put to the test by a panel of industry experts at the competition.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Professor Brian Ogolsky, part of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, was recently one of three people to earn the prestigious Fellow status from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR).

Dan Shike, a nationally recognized expert in beef cattle production systems and longtime faculty member at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been appointed head of the Department of Animal Sciences in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, effective June 16, 2026.

In an innovative food science course at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, students wandered through street markets in Veracruz, Mexico, and Taipei, Taiwan; and toured a coffee plantation and artisanal chocolate factory in a mountain village — all without leaving the Illinois campus.

Agricultural communications leader and alumna Amy Roady has been named the inaugural director of the James F. Evans Global Center for Food and Agricultural Communications in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

"As an education major, I never thought I would know so much about corn,” says College of Education sophomore Hannah Haas.

Haas is part of a unique project partnership between the College of Education and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. With funding from a USDA grant, this collaboration brings together future educators and agricultural researchers to develop an engaging, standards-based curriculum for K–12 students using popcorn.

Known as the "rice bowl" due to its lush and fertile growing areas, the Mekong Delta region in southwest Vietnam is a cornerstone of the country’s food security and economy. As part of a collaboration with The Mekong Delta Development Research Institute at Can Tho University, a team from the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) helped organize and facilitate training for new extension workers and students on how to measure and reduce postharvest losses to maximize product in the rice value chain. 

As climate change increases the frequency of drought, excessive rainfall, and other extreme weather events, farmers face growing uncertainty about crop production. Understanding how farmers perceive and respond to that uncertainty can help improve agricultural policy and climate adaptation strategies.

International exchange was a foundational experience for Ron and Melanie Warfield, and now, the couple hopes to help students follow in their footsteps. Through a $1 million gift to the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the couple has created the Ron and Melanie Warfield Global Scholars and Experiential Learning Innovation Fund.