5 Questions: Meghan Clodfelter, ACES coordinator of alumni engagement
Where did you grow up? Do you have an agriculture background? If so, describe.
I grew up in Sterling, Illinois on a 14-acre farmette where there was always a new project to do. My involvement in 4-H (local club, county ambassadors, and federation officers) kept me busy, and I loved assisting with our Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom program. My summers consisted of hog shows, and my brother and I even raised popcorn to sell to our community!
When did you know what your career path would be?
Nitrous oxide emissions from Corn Belt soils spike when soils freeze, thaw
URBANA, Ill. – Nitrous oxide may be much less abundant in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, but as a greenhouse gas, it’s a doozy. With a potency 300 times greater than CO2, nitrous oxide’s warming potential, especially via agriculture, demands attention.
University of Illinois and University of Minnesota researchers are answering the call. In a new study, they document an overlooked but crucial timeframe for nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in U.S. Midwest agricultural systems: the non-growing season.
Illinois study suggests the humble minnow can take the heat(wave)
URBANA, Ill. – Humans aren’t the only ones suffering through unprecedented heatwaves in a warming climate. Consider the humble minnow. These tiny fish represent the all-important base of the food chain in many freshwater ecosystems. And like all fish, minnows adjust their body temperature to match their surroundings. As climate change turns up the heat, could minnows cook?
A new University of Illinois study shows the fathead minnow, a ubiquitous prey fish in North American streams, can handle simulated heatwaves with surprisingly few nasty side effects.
RIPE researchers prove bioengineering better photosynthesis increases yields in food crops for the first time ever
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — For the first time, RIPE researchers have proven that multigene bioengineering of photosynthesis increases the yield of a major food crop in field trials. After more than a decade of working toward this goal, a collaborative team led by the University of Illinois has transgenically altered soybean plants to increase the efficiency of photosynthesis, resulting in greater yields without loss of quality.
Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications
Focus on modern agricultural topics like how people work together and lead their peers, how to learn from and educate others, and how to communicate and report on agricultural issues.
Agricultural and Consumer Economics
Put business and economics into action to solve real-world issues using economics, finance, marketing, quantitative methods, law, and policy.
Meat Science Certificate
The Meat Science certificate is for students who are majoring in Animal Science or Food Science and plan a career in the meat or food industry.
New U of I farm apprenticeship turns out veggies and well-equipped farmers
URBANA, Ill. – A new University of Illinois program will train beginner specialty crop growers in every aspect of farm operation and management. The year-long Illinois Small Farm Apprenticeship Program offers new farmers opportunities to learn by doing and to deepen that experiential knowledge with lessons from faculty experts in soil science, pest management, and more.
How do we measure community disaster resilience?
In a new study, retired Illinois State Water Survey engineer Sally McConkey and Eric R. Larson, a professor of natural resources and environmental sciences at the U. of I., examined the metrics used at a county scale for national assessments to determine whether communities are prepared to withstand and recover from natural disasters such as floods and fires. McConkey spoke to News Bureau life sciences editor Diana Yates about what they found.