Voices of ACES
My name is Alexandra Houser and I will be graduating in 2019 as part of the first class of students in the new non-thesis Master of Animal Sciences program at Illinois. I came to the CU area in the fall of 2018 to begin this unique one-year program knowing that the next nine months would be very challenging, but also extremely worthwhile… and boy was I right!
February 19, 2019
Over the winter break, I had the opportunity to take a class that involved touring different National Parks in Texas and New Mexico. I was told it would involve some hiking, but “no fitness level would be required.” On the first day of the trip, we toured two different missions (historic catholic churches) in the El Paso, TX area that involved no hiking of any kind. We did some light walking and spent more time traveling by car than by foot. The next day however, we went to our first National Park: Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
February 5, 2019
When you graduate high school, you are on top of the world. You think to yourself, “College will be a breeze. I’ve studied common core for four years so I can go on to study things I am good at!” Maybe you can relate to this. If you can’t that’s okay too, you might be more of a realist than I was two short years ago.
January 22, 2019
As a former plant scientist, I understand how chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides work to enhance crop performance and yield, and I know that those chemicals are rigorously tested and strictly regulated to ensure consumer and environmental safety. But I’ll admit I still reach for organic products at the grocery store whenever I can.
December 20, 2018
In early December, our office had the great honor of hosting the Director General of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) Ruben G. Echeverría to present the 2018 ACES Distinguished International Lecture.
December 19, 2018
As one of the writers on the marketing and communications team for the College of ACES, I get to learn new things about science every single day and then use a bit of creativity to explain it to the public. I don’t just want my writing to make sense and be scientifically accurate, although those things are key; I also want to write in a way that captures readers’ attention and describes how they can use the information in their lives.
December 18, 2018
Seven years ago, Marise Robbins-Forbes joined the College of ACES Office of Advancement. On December 21, she will retire and the impacts of her contributions to the college will continue for decades.
December 17, 2018
For most of us, standing at the edge of a precipice is downright scary. There’s no other way to put it. Peering over the edge of a cliff, right into the eye of uncertainty, is not at all comfortable, but Luvvie Ajayi is right, “comfort is overrated.”
December 13, 2018
“Who wants to make a tackle? Who wants to make a play? Who wants to be a leader?” I can still hear my high school football coach yelling these questions at the 40 men who had their helmets off and were taking a knee during halftime. I can still smell the grass and the hot dogs, and I remember – no matter what the score was – how our coach was able to bring our team together with each halftime speech.
November 28, 2018
You’ve heard it 1,000 times already, but I’m going to say it again. The opportunities available to you on this campus and within the college of ACES are limitless. There are over 1,600 organizations to be a part of, but for me, there was one that stood apart from the rest.
