College can be difficult – any student knows that. What many students may not know, though, is how dedicated their teachers and advisors are to helping them navigate what can be a stressful and confusing time, especially now.

The 13th cohort of the ACES Global Academy “International Partnerships for Digital Agriculture Research and Applications in BRAZIL” is building collaborations with Brazilian colleagues in spite of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic.

URBANA, Ill. – An aging U.S. population is rapidly increasing the demand for nursing care. The number of U.S. citizens aged 65 and over is expected to almost double from 43.1 million in 2012 to 87.5 million by 2050, while the workforce is shrinking. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the need for health care professionals.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant disruptions and complications with regards to the College of ACES (and everyone’s) international activities. ACES faculty have engagements in 76 countries, but since March 2020, representatives of ACES have not traveled for official business, and the college has hosted no international guests.

URBANA, Ill.  - Each year, the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) Alumni Association recognizes outstanding ACES alumni who have made a significant impact in their careers and their communities. The ACES Alumni Association announces the recipients of the Career Achievement and Outstanding Young Alumni Awards.

URBANA, Ill. – Ashli Trudeau wrapped her hand around the little bird ever so gently, carefully following instructions to keep the American Goldfinch safe. She could feel the bird’s tiny feathery heart racing against her fingers, and her own skipped a beat.

“Its feathers were one of the softest things I have ever felt,” she recalls. “I only held the bird for 10 or 15 seconds, but that memory will stay with me forever.”

As farmers wrap up harvest, safety on the farm and on roadways must remain top of mind – for farmers and everyone who benefits from their hard work. College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) students are learning about safety while they and the University of Illinois benefit from a recent donation that helps everyone who learns and works at the campus’ South Farms.

URBANA, Ill. – Spirituality isn’t usually considered a factor in conservation efforts. But indigenous peoples who worship wildlife may be helping protect endangered species from extinction.

URBANA, Ill. – College students are significantly less likely to be food insecure than non-students in the same age group, according to a new study from the University of Illinois.

“College hunger” has been widely reported in the media, and several studies found very high food insecurity rates among college students, sometimes up to 50 or 60%. “That did not make sense to those of us doing research on food insecurity, so I wanted to check those findings,” says Craig Gundersen, agricultural economist at U of I.

URBANA, Ill. – The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has awarded $1.12 million to support University of Illinois-led research to clean agricultural drainage water through saturated buffers and denitrifying bioreactors. The investment, part of NRCS’s Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) program, was matched by numerous stakeholder partners in Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota, for a total of nearly $2.25 million.