Lauren Karplus, assistant director for the Office of International Programs in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a recipient of the highly competitive Fulbright International Education Administrators Award.

Professor Elizabeth Olson will serve as the first associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Olson’s tenure will begin on Jan. 16, 2024, pending approval by the Board of Trustees. 

Urban agriculture has the potential to decentralize food supplies, provide environmental benefits like wildlife habitat, and mitigate environmental footprints, but researchers have identified knowledge gaps regarding both the benefits and risks of urban agriculture and the social processes of growing more food in urban areas.

When youth thrive despite difficult circumstances, they are usually lauded for their accomplishments. However, overcoming adversity may have a hidden physiological cost, especially for minority youth.

Plants often develop communities with microorganisms in their roots, which influences plant health and development. Although the recruitment of these microbes is dictated by several factors, it is unclear whether the genetic variation in the host plants plays a role. In a new study, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explored this question and their work can help improve agriculture productivity. 

Soils are not just key to crop production and food security. They form the literal foundation supporting homes, roads, septic systems, and other essential infrastructure. That’s why students in NRES 285, a laboratory and field soil judging course, learn to identify important physical properties of soil. And they’re good at it.

Representative Bradley Fritts (R-Dixon), the youngest elected member of the Illinois General Assembly, is shaping a distinctive path in his early political career.

URBANA, Ill. — Complex biomanufacturing equipment is required to turn corn and soybeans into value-added products through the process of fermentation.