Each year, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign honors high-achieving seniors who demonstrate leadership, academic excellence, and a commitment to the ACES mission. This year, the Hugh P. Morrison Award and Warren K. Wessels Award went to seniors Abbey Steele and Carrie Gill, respectively. 

Hugh P. Morrison Award 

The Hugh P. Morrison Award is funded in honor and memory of its namesake, former president of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. This scholarship is awarded annually to students with senior standing in an agricultural program who display substantial academic achievement, leadership, and an overall demonstrated commitment to the field of agriculture.

Abbey Steele of South Elgin, Illinois, was selected as the 2025 Morrison Award recipient. Steele will graduate in May 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, focusing on biological engineering. 

Steele gained valuable hands-on experience while pursuing her passions during her undergraduate career. As an undergraduate research assistant in the ABE department, she has contributed to research on the growth of microgreens using wastewater from post-hydrothermal liquefaction as irrigation. In her senior capstone course, she is working on a team to design a system to collect root exudates that will later be analyzed and used to breed corn plants with a more sustainable microbiome.

In the summer of 2024, she expanded her expertise as an agronomy intern for Mosaic Biosciences, conducting field visits across Illinois and Indiana. Her work focused on evaluating treated versus untreated plots with Mosaic Bioscience products, as well as managing field data entry and analysis.

Steele is a member of the James Scholar Honors Program in the Grainger College of Engineering and is an active leader beyond academics. She served as treasurer and volunteer supervisor for Project for Less, as well as philanthropy chair for Theta Tau, a professional engineering fraternity.

Finalists in this category included Jack Dameron (animal sciences), Katelyn Engel (agricultural leadership, education, and communications), Amelia Nelson (crop sciences), and Taylor Talbert (agricultural leadership, education, and communications).

Warren K. Wessels Achievement Award

The Warren K. Wessels Achievement Award is dedicated in memory of its namesake, who was an assistant dean in the College of ACES, then called the College of Agriculture, from 1958-1994. During that time, Wessels worked with thousands of students as a recruitment coordinator, orientation class instructor, and placement director. Wessels was well known for his encouragement of excellence, demanding yet fun-loving personality, and commitment to each individual student. Student recipients of the Wessels Award are chosen based on above-and-beyond academics, leadership record, participation in development activities, and their contributions to improving the overall quality of life for others as a part of ACES.

Carrie Gill of Princeville, IL, was selected as the 2025 Wessels Achievement Award recipient. Gill will graduate in May 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences, with a concentration in food animal production and management. 

Gill is an exceptionally dedicated animal sciences student whose passion for meat science is both broad and deep. She joined the Meats Judging Team as a freshman, where she quickly discovered her interest in the industry. That initial experience inspired a deeper commitment, leading her to become an undergraduate research assistant in the Meat Science Laboratory — a position she has held for the past three years. In 2025, Gill further demonstrated her leadership and peer mentorship skills by serving as the assistant coach of the Meats Judging Team.

Beyond meat science, Gill is an active member of departmental clubs such as Animal Science Ambassadors and Hoof and Horn, where she serves as the president. Additionally, she has served as both social and philanthropy chair for 4-H House, a cooperative sorority on campus. 

Finalists in this category included Will Hensley (agricultural and consumer economics), Jenna Spangler (food science and human nutrition), Taylor Talbert (agricultural leadership, education, and communications), and Carmen Trotta (agricultural leadership, education, and communications). 

Winners and finalists will be honored at the ACES Alumni Gala on April 14. 

To learn more about ACES majors and programs, check out our interactive program explorer.