The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has named Benjamin Quirke the recipient of the 2026 Robert M. Harrison Leadership Award for demonstrating strong leadership and engagement through his involvement in student organizations and professional experiences within the college.

As winter comes to a close, many people look forward to warmer temperatures and spring blooms, but for land managers working to preserve or restore oak-dominated forests, it is prescribed burn season. Fire brings more light into forests, which is crucial for young oak tree growth, but many land managers are concerned about how non-native plants affect fire intensity and young tree survival rates.

Paul E. McNamara, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, and Mia Bonds, an undergraduate student in ACE, are winners of 2026 International Achievement Awards from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Illinois International. These awards recognize outstanding alumni, faculty, and students whose exceptional work, service, and/or scholarship has made a significant, global impact. 

Paul E. McNamara

Precision agriculture first gained traction in the 1990s, when GPS technology made it possible for farm equipment to map and manage fields with a level of detail that was not possible before. Farmers could accurately apply fertilizer or seed at different rates across a field, responding to variations in field conditions.

Madhu Khanna, Alvin H. Baum Family Chair and Director of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE), has been named a 2025 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the highest honors awarded to U.S. scientists.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has received a meaningful gift from Schwab Advisor Services and the Charles Schwab Foundation to expand the Financial Empowerment Initiative and support the launch of an undergraduate Certificate in Personal Finance. Together, these initiatives will help provide students with lasting financial literacy.

Hydrological models represent water movement in natural systems, and they are important for water resource planning and management. But the models depend on reliable input data for weather factors, and precipitation can be very difficult to measure and represent accurately.

Two short years ago, during National Ag Day at AgRally in Fort Worth, Texas — an event sponsored by John Deere and broadcast on the RFD-TV network — ACES alum and AgRally co-founder Lyle E. Orwig helped introduce the vision for the Evans Center. 

“We need all different kinds of minds.”

Temple Grandin’s neurodivergence is one of her biggest strengths. As a consultant and professor of animal sciences, she has led groundbreaking work in animal behavior and livestock handling, breaking barriers for both women and neurodivergent individuals in agriculture. 

Her chute systems and restraining equipment are now used nationwide, setting the bar for humane livestock handling.

Finding bats in the attic or under roof tiles is no homeowner’s idea of fun. But Florida’s endangered bonneted bats have few natural options left. With a dwindling number of large, old trees with cavities — their preferred habitat — and exotic species competing for what’s left, many bonneted bats have moved into homes, leading to panicked humans and calls to professionals who can oust the squatters.