Growing up in disadvantaged communities can take a toll on children, with greater stress leading to mental health issues and delays in psychological development. But a decade’s worth of research suggests there’s an effective and nearly free remedy that may level the playing field with their advantaged counterparts: time in nature. 

Professor Joseph P. Janzen was formally invested as The Clearing Corporation Foundation Endowed Associate Professor in Derivatives Trading in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on May 12.

With summer just around the corner, Agronomy Days will soon return to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The season-long series teaches Illinois growers the latest breakthroughs in productivity, profitability, and sustainability.

The livestock industry is changing quickly. Pig populations are increasing, farmers are decreasing, and tools are needed to address the widening gap.

When Pamela Smith, an editor for DTN and Progressive Farmer magazine, spotted a social media post from a friend looking to nurture her daughter’s love of writing, Pam stepped in with an old-fashioned offer: to write letters. 

Tile drainage is common in U.S. Midwest agricultural fields, helping to remove excess water and aerate the soil. While the practice enhances crop productivity, it can cause phosphorus to leak into nearby waterways, where it contributes to harmful algal blooms. Directing tile-drain runoff through a structure filled with biochar – a form of charcoal produced from organic waste – provides a potential remedy for phosphorus pollution, but the method is novel and not fully explored.

Three members of the College of ACES community — Lisa Kelly, Carissa Nelson, and Mynda Tracy — are recipients of the 2026 Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award.

When the semester ended this May, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign said goodbye to one of its most beloved professors. Paul Stoddard has retired after more than 25 years of dedicated service to the university and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.