About
ACES Global Food Security Interns Program

The College of ACES Office of International Programs seeks to support talented and motivated ACES undergraduate students to pursue work related to food and nutritional security in low- and middle-income countries through the Global Food Security Interns program. This is essentially a paid *research experience* opportunity to work in a lab for an ACES professor.

ACES students who are selected as Global Food Security Interns will receive:

  • Salary support for an approved on-campus research internship for 8 to 15 weeks during Fall semester, with potential to renew the internship in the Spring semester. The selected student’s internship supervisor (an ACES faculty member) will receive funding to pay the student for up to 10 hours per week for a period of 8 to 15 weeks to do research projects. 
  • Up to $1500 to support the costs of participating in an international travel experience of at least two weeks that is associated with the internship. (International travel component is optional.)
  • Interns will be required to attend special events as an intern cohort and submit a final report or blog post (with image) at the close of the program.

Eligibility:

Global Food Security Interns must be enrolled in an undergraduate program in the College of ACES and must plan to graduate no earlier than December 2025.

Application Process:

Prospective Undergraduate Global Food Security Interns must submit the following before 5 p.m. on September 19. 

1.            Resume which lists their major and current year in degree program (freshman/sophomore/junior/senior)

2.            Academic transcript. Unofficial is accepted.

3.            Statement of purpose (two paragraphs) by the student explaining the interest in global food security, professional or academic goals, and type of research or lab experiences they’d be open to having.

Submit the documents listed above to: ACES-OIP@illinois.edu .

Students whose qualifications meet the needs of a faculty host will then be invited to a final interview with the prospective internship supervisor.

 

 

Previous Awardees

 

Fall 2024 - Spring 2025

  • Kathya Grau - sophomore in agricultural and consumer economics - public policy and law. 
  • Mia Bonds - a sophomore in agricultural and consumer economics - policy, international trade and development
  • Elena Cleary - a senior in agricultural leadership, education, and communications
  • Kelly Qiu - a senior in agricultural and consumer economics - finance

 

2024 - Spring

  • Quentin Herzig - a senior in crop sciences, supervised by Matthew Brooks, is working on manipulating photosynthesis transcription factors to better understand photosynthesis types and drought resistance.

 

2023 - Fall

  • Olivia O’Leary - a senior in agricultural and consumer economics, supervised by Michelle da Fonseca Santos in the Soybean Innovation Lab (SIL), working with the SIL Human Nutrition Team
  • Julie Hwang - a senior in food science and human nutrition, supervised by Matthew Stasiewicz, is working on mycotoxin detection methods for corn
  • Brighid Zelko - a senior in crop sciences, supervised by Stephen Long, studying the phenotypic factors of tropical sorghums for increased efficiency
  • Kierstin Benson - a junior in agricultural and consumer economics, supervised by Michelle da Fonseca Santos, is working with SIL’s Pan-African Trials commercialization team

 

2023 - Spring

  • Emma Prybylski - junior in animal sciences, will work with Dr. Phil Cardoso to evaluate dairy farming practices and assist with the International Food Security at Illinois Symposium. 

  • Brendon Carter - junior in agricultural and consumer economics, will work with Dr. Hope Michelson to research and build a database on maize policy changes in African countries (continued award)

2022

  • Brendon Carter, sophomore in agricultural and consumer economics, will work with Dr. Hope Michelson to research and build a database on maize policy changes in African countries
  • Riley Anderson-Bush, sophomore in animal sciences, will work with Dr. Matt Wheeler on the Tropical-Adapted Livestock Project, which involves cross-breeding bovines to create a new breed that would be able to survive in tropical conditions.   
  • Bradley Brinkley - continuation from Fall 2021
  • Devan Fischer - continuation from Fall 2021

2021 - Fall

  • Bradley Brinkley, a junior in agricultural and consumer economics, worked with the ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss to research innovations and practices that reduce postharvest losses and develop a portfolio of educational content.
  • Devan Fischer, a senior in agricultural and consumer economics, worked with the Soybean Innovation Lab to support the Pan-African Soybean Variety Trials program.

2021 - Spring

  • Grace Chantos, agricultural and consumer economics, worked with Anna Snider/AgReach on the resilience of smallholder farmers in the face of COVID-19
  • Zainab Alzoubi, food sciences and human nutrition, worked with Melissa Prescott, investigating programs that address food insecurity in Pakistan. Read blog post.
  • Madison Gardner, interdisciplinary health, worked with the ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss, advised by Maria Jones Read blog post. 
  • Three ACES undergraduates worked with the Soybean Innovation Lab, advised by Michelle da Fonseca Santos:
  • Makenzie Jarvis, agricultural and biological engineering Read blog post. 
  • Ian Joyce, agricultural and consumer economics Read blog post.
  • Zoe Serelis, natural resources and environmental sciences Read blog post

2020

  • Anneli Cers (sophomore in natural resources and environmental sciences) worked with Daniel Miller to study the role of women in ensuring food security in communities that depend on forests for food in India.
  • Fina Healy and Katie Koprowski (both sophomores in agricultural and biological engineering) worked with Paul Davidson on research on inhibiting bacterial growth in water.
  • Allison Place (sophomore in agricultural and biological engineering) and Rachel Pu (sophomore in crop sciences) worked with Pete Goldsmith/Soybean Innovation Lab on an aspect of soybean for development and food security. 

2019

Three ACES undergraduate students worked with the ACES-based and USAID-funded Strengthening Agriculture and Nutrition Extension activity to deliver a video-extension campaign to smallholder farmers in Malawi:

  • Christina Fernandez, senior in natural resources and environmental sciences
  • Kristen Iverson, senior in agricultural leadership and education 
  • Anoosha Memon, senior in agricultural and consumer economics