Alumni

Paul Wallem turned 91 earlier this year, but that hasn’t slowed him down one bit. He is a regular columnist at Farm World and the author of six books, and that’s just since his retirement a decade ago.

Jim and Ellen Holmes have devoted their lives to service — first to their country and now to the next generation of students.

Jim Holmes grew up on a small Angus cattle farm near Dunlap, Illinois, where problem-solving was part of everyday life.

“If something broke, you fixed it with a screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, and a hammer,” Jim said with a laugh.

Each fall, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign welcomes thousands of students to campus.

Renowned animal behaviorist and autism advocate Temple Grandin has been selected to receive a 2025 University of Illinois Alumni Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed upon alumni by the University of Illinois Alumni Association. Grandin earned a doctoral degree in animal sciences from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1989.

The family of Phil B. Jones, a respected Washington County farmer and community leader, is pleased to announce the creation of the Phil B. Jones Family Scholarship to support local high school students pursuing degrees in agriculture, communications, and related fields at the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

If you look closely at the marble staircases in Mumford Hall, you’ll see imprints worn into the stone—evidence of generations of students passing through, their footsteps leaving a mark. Among these students was Paul Stoddard, now a senior lecturer at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Stoddard’s journey took him from the farm fields of Illinois to the front of a lecture hall, where he has shaped the minds of thousands of students. 

Each year, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign honors high-achieving seniors who demonstrate leadership, academic excellence, and a commitment to the ACES mission. This year, the Hugh P. Morrison Award and Warren K. Wessels Award went to seniors Abbey Steele and Carrie Gill, respectively. 

Hugh P. Morrison Award 

Each year, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has the honor of celebrating the achievements of several exceptional ACES alumni. Alumni Award recipients are recognized in the categories of Outstanding Young Alumni, Career Achievement, Award of Merit, and ACES Family Spirit. The 2025 winners will be honored during the ACES Alumni Awards Gala on April 14 at the Pear Tree Estate.

Dr. Bhavani Shankar, an alum from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was recently honored with the prestigious Gates Foundation Goalkeeper Champion Award. Shankar was selected for his work in increasing access and affordability of nutrient dense foods to rural markets.

The world lost a humble giant on July 30, 2023. Steve Gerdes (ACE, ’77) was a man of boundless dreams and even greater determination. His deep love for farming, family, community, and life itself was evident in everything he did and continues to inspire through the legacy he leaves behind.

Steve grew up in a small farming community in Walnut, Illinois, with his younger sister, Julie, the children of loving parents, Bertie and Herbert Gerdes. He came from a large extended family anchored by German immigrant grandparents on his dad’s side.