Recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of living University of Illinois College of ACES alumni who have had exceptional professional achievement and/or made extraordinary humanitarian contributions. Awardees will be honored at the ACES Alumni Association Awards event in 2023. The selected individuals will also become Round Barn Society members and will be pinned when receiving their recognition.

Scoring

Scoring will consist of 78% Professional Achievements and Service to Professional Organizations, 15% Service to Others including the University of Illinois and College of ACES and Service to the Community; 4% Awards and Honors, and 3% Nominator’s Letter of Endorsement and Letters of Reference.

Guidelines for Nomination:

Submit the completed nomination form. Complete applications should include all relevant information within the nomination form. Nominee information is limited to the area available in the nomination form. Do not attach extra pages.

• Attach two letters of reference in support of this nomination. One letter of reference should be from a University of Illinois past or current faculty or staff member. Names, addresses, and email addresses must be included in reference letters.
• Attach the resume of the nominee (no vitae please).
• Award of Merit winners are not eligible for this award.

No confirmation of receipt of the nomination will be sent. All materials received for a single nominee will constitute that person’s nomination. It is the responsibility of the nominator(s) to ensure that all materials have been received by the College of ACES Alumni Association office.

Candidates will be considered for one year. Nominators can resubmit an updated nomination for two subsequent years. If a nominee is not selected within a three-year period, the candidate can be re-nominated after three additional years.

Please consult the Career Achievement Tips (pdf) document for additional insight when completing the application.

View videos of ACES Career Achievement Award winners

Recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of University of Illinois College of ACES young alumni who have had exceptional professional achievement and/or made extraordinary humanitarian contributions. Awardees will be honored at the ACES Alumni Association Awards event in 2022. The selected individuals will also become Round Barn Society members and will be pinned when receiving their recognition.

Scoring

Scoring will consist of 48% Professional Accomplishments and Service to Professional Organizations, 27% Service to the University of Illinois and College of ACES, 16% Community Achievement and Service to the Community; 6% Awards and Honors, and 3% Nominator’s Letter of Endorsement and Letters of Reference.

Guidelines for Nomination:

• The nominee must have received a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree from the University of Illinois College of ACES.
• The nominee must be under the age of 40 on January 1, 2023.
• Submit the completed nomination form. Complete applications should include all relevant information within the nomination form. Nominee information is limited to the area available in each area of the form. Do not attach extra pages.
• Attach two letters of reference in support of this nomination. One letter of reference must be from a University of Illinois past or current faculty or staff member. Names, addresses, and an email must be included on reference letters.
• Attach the resume of the nominee (no vitae please).

No confirmation of receipt of the nomination will be sent. All materials received for a single nominee will constitute that person’s nomination. It is the responsibility of the nominator(s) to ensure that all materials have been received by the College of ACES Alumni Association office.

Candidates will be considered for one year. Nominators can resubmit an updated nomination for two subsequent years. If a nominee is not selected within a three-year period, the candidate can be re-nominated after three additional years.

Please consult the Outstanding Young Alumni Tips (pdf) for additional insight when completing the application.

View videos of ACES Outstanding Young Alumni Award winners

The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Family Spirit Award recognizes those family members who have demonstrated their support of the College as alumni and/or current students. Selection will be based on, but not limited to a display of sincere dedication to the College of ACES and significant connections to the College and University. Awardees will be honored at the ACES Alumni Association Awards event in 2023.

Scoring

Scoring will consist of 40% service to the University of Illinois and College of ACES after graduation, 25% engagement as a student, 25% service to the community; 5% family engagement with the University, and 5% nominator’s letter of endorsement and letters of reference.

Guidelines for Nomination:

• Complete and submit the nomination form. Complete the family member pages for each member of the family as appropriate.
• Attach a minimum of two letters of reference, in support of this nomination. Either the nomination or one letter of reference must be from a University of Illinois faculty or staff member. Name, addresses, and email addresses must be included in reference letters.

No confirmation of receipt of the nomination will be sent. All materials received for a single nominee will constitute that person’s nomination. It is the responsibility of the nominator(s) to ensure that all materials have been received by the College of ACES Alumni Association office.

Candidates will be considered for one year. Nominators can resubmit an updated nomination for two subsequent years. If a nominee is not selected within a three-year period, the candidate can be re-nominated after three additional years.

View videos of ACES Family Spirit Award winners

Recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of living University of Illinois College of ACES alumni who have excelled in their careers, leadership or service upon graduation from college. Awardees will be honored at the ACES Alumni Association Awards event in 2022.

Scoring

Scoring will consist of 48% Professional Accomplishments and Service to Professional Organizations, 27% Service to the University of Illinois and College of ACES, 16% Community Achievement and Service to the Community; 6% Awards and Honors, and 3% Nominator’s Letter of Endorsement and Letters of Reference.

Guidelines for Nomination:

• Submit the completed nomination form.  Complete applications should include all relevant information within the nomination form. (Letters of reference only serve to support the nomination and are minimally factored in scoring.) Nominee information is limited to the area available in each area of the form. Do not attach extra pages.
• Attach two letters of reference in support of this nomination. One letter of reference must be from a University of Illinois past or current faculty or staff member. Names, addresses, and an email must be included on reference letters.
• Attach the resume of the nominee (no vitae please).

No confirmation of receipt of the nomination will be sent.  All materials received for a single nominee will constitute that person’s nomination.  It is the responsibility of the nominator(s) to ensure that all materials have been received by the College of ACES Alumni Association office.

Applications will only be considered for one year.  The same application may be resubmitted for up to three years.  It is recommended to update the application with any new or missing information before re-submitting.  If a nominee is not selected within the three-year period, a new application can be submitted after 3 years.

Please consult the ACES Award of Merit Tips (pdf) for additional insight when completing the application. 

View videos of ACES Award of Merit winners

Illinois alumni are recognized throughout the year for their successes and contributions. Every year during Commencement weekend at the University of Illinois, the UI Alumni Association recognizes outstanding alumni with the Alumni Achievement, Alumni Humanitarian and Distinguished Service awards. Other honors, such as the Chicago Illini of the Year Awards, are presented at annual events. Here is a complete list of awards, past recipients and instructions on how to nominate someone for recognition. Learn more about university awards and how to nominate an alum today!

University of Illinois Alumni Awards include:

• Alumni Achievement Award
• Alumni Humanitarian Award
• Young Alumni Award
• Chicago Illini of the Year Award
• Constituent Leadership Award
• Distinguished Service Award
• Illini Comeback Award
• Lou Liay Spirit Award

Please contact the College of ACES Alumni Association if you nominate an alum!