Two College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) buildings were recognized at an awards ceremony on April 24 for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP). The event honored award recipients for both the 2022 and 2023 academic years. 

Bylines are the lifeblood of journalists. With that in mind, last fall the College of Agricultural Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign launched “Advanced Agricultural Communications Composition,” designed and taught by Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications (ALEC) professor Owen Roberts. 

Sweet potatoes are a popular food choice for consumers worldwide because of their delicious taste and nutritious quality. The red, tuberous root vegetable can be processed into chips and fries, and it has a range of industrial applications, including textiles, biodegradable polymers, and biofuels.

In 1999, Brad and Joyce Riskedal, both University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alums, were busy raising a family and working the family farm in north central Illinois. Looking for an additional source of income, Joyce began Country Lights, a soy-wax candle brand that grew into a prominent fixture in their community. 

Global collaboration is integral to the work of many researchers in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Undergraduate students who are interested in international research have many opportunities to be involved, and it doesn’t always mean traveling to faraway destinations — the work can be part of their daily activities on campus.

For people whose kidneys don’t function properly, hemodialysis is a lifesaving process. Patients visit dialysis centers multiple times per week, getting hooked up to machines that filter impurities and excess fluid out of their blood. Between sessions, dietary choices — especially sodium intake — determine the amount of fluid patients accumulate, affecting weight gain and overall quality of life. And the more fluid that needs to be taken off, the more difficult the dialysis session.

Researchers from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences tracked bird diversity in public parks and private backyards in twin cities in Illinois with significantly different development histories and green space management practices. They found that birds rely on both public and private spaces in different seasons and for different reasons. The study linked park management practices aimed at conservation and restoration to increased bird diversity and the persistence of rarer species. 

As researchers continue to understand the effects agriculture plays in climate and environment, a new research project was recently funded by the NASA Interdisciplinary Research in Earth Science (IDS) program, which includes experienced researchers from four institutions. The new project has for the first time made it possible to show the impact two nitrogen fluxes — ammonia (NH3) and nitric oxide/nitrogen dioxide (NOx) — have on agricultural productivity and air quality.