Voices of ACES

Agnes with the water pump
Global scholar’s research, work focuses on women farmers in homeland of Sierra Leone
After a long 48-hour journey from Chicago to Freetown, I landed safely on the shores of my beloved homeland, Sierra Leone. I traveled all night from Freetown to Njala Campus, where I had a tough night due to the hot and humid weather. But at last, the journey ended joyfully.
By Agnes Millimouno
All Students Educators From the Dean Social
April 8, 2022
By Leia Flure
Nutrition students connect with dietitians to explore cultural food diversity
Nutrition students and dietetics practitioners came together last month to consider diversity through a lens everyone can relate to – food. Co-hosted by the Eastern Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (EIAND) and the Nutritional Sciences Graduate Student Association (NSGSA), the event was planned and executed entirely by students in the University of Illinois’ dietetic internship program.
March 21, 2022
By Laura Mabry
Love it or hate it, black licorice tickles taste buds
Back to the cookies. In the height of the pandemic, I ventured into Bevier Hall, grabbed my bag of samples. At home, I nibbled, rinsed, and nibbled again, following the steps in an online module. I assessed smell, taste, and texture.
March 14, 2022
By Justine Karduck
National Nutrition Month at U of I: Promotion of healthy eating habits
Dietetics students from the Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) 329 Communication in Nutrition course celebrated National Nutrition Month by hosting a National Nutrition Month Fair in the Student Dining and Residential Programs Building (SDRP) on March 7.
February 2, 2022
By Joyce Njuguna
Global scholar connects with research in home country of Kenya
I grew up in Kenya, just outside the capital city, in a community of small holder farmers and have experienced first-hand what it is like to grow food for subsistence. This has shaped my appreciation for agriculture and the role it plays to combat hunger and improve the livelihoods of communities around the world. When I joined the crop science department as a graduate student, I attended a seminar where ACES professor Alex Winter-Nelson spoke of the opportunity to conduct research in partnership with a mentor in an international agricultural research center through the ACES Global Food Security Graduate Fellowship. This talk sparked my interest and I saw this as the perfect opportunity to connect the science I was learning here in the U.S. with the research efforts ongoing in my home country.
January 7, 2022
By ACES staff
5 Questions Friday: New feature spotlights must-know ACES faces
The ACES community is filled with passionate people – some in the spotlight and some behind the scenes. They care about and focus on world-changing work like:
December 16, 2021
By Vanessa Cahill
Never lose your sense of wonder: 2021 Dec. Convocation
Vanessa Cahill, an ACES graduating senior in ACE, majoring in policy, international trade and development, delivered this December’s ACES convocation speech. She said, "Due to the pandemic, I was unable to study a semester abroad as planned during my time at Illinois. This pushed me to buckle down and finish my degree by December to take a few months and explore new parts of the world before starting work. If ACES has shown me one thing, it is the endless opportunity in this industry. That being said, I am not limiting myself to working in America. Traveling to different countries around the world will expose me to new sides of agriculture that I have never considered. Internships in agricultural supply chain and digital technology (precision agriculture) have shown me that these are areas where I strive to make an impact. My goal is to have a job secured by the end of the summer that allows me to work on the efficiency of global agricultural supply chains or develop agricultural technology."
November 2, 2021
By Lauren Moy
Human nutrition classes lead to pharmacy school for ACES graduate
My name is Lauren Moy and I am a first-year pharmacy student at University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy. I am from the city of Chicago, so going to this school meant I was able to come home. I graduated from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in May 2021.
October 12, 2021
By ACES staff
New leadership in ACES administrative units as Bollero takes interim dean role
When Dr. Germán Bollero became interim dean for the College of ACES in late September, he left a vacancy in the Office of Research. Fortunately, Dr. Alex Winter-Nelson agreed to step into the role of acting associate dean for research and director of the Agricultural Experiment Station. But Winter-Nelson's shift left an opening in the Office of International Programs. With her expertise in international development, Dr. Mary Arends-Kuenning of ACE was the perfect choice for acting associate dean for international programs.
October 5, 2021
By Nicole Park
Pre-health student learns about global health issues virtually in South Africa
Over the summer of 2021, I was able to participate in a virtual internship in Cape Town, South Africa with VA Corps, where I collaborated with public health leaders and nonprofit organizations in the field of HIV/AIDs relief and education.