Alumni

ONE MINUTE, wheelchair racer Susannah Scaroni, ’14 ACES, MS ’22 ACES, was pushing through a normal long training session, heading east on Windsor Road not far from campus. The next, she was moving ahead much more quickly than she expected.

It was early morning on Sept. 16, 2021. A month before, Scaroni had been in Tokyo for the Paralympics, where she won a gold medal in the 5,000 meters and a bronze medal in the 800 meters.

Now, she was on the ground next to her chair. A vehicle had struck her from behind.

Summer is here, and that means ACES Family Academies is back on campus. Taking place at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, ACES Family Academies is a two-day interactive and educational event held July 10-12, 2024, that gives families and kids (ages 8-13) a glimpse into being part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at Illinois.

What seems like not long ago, Doyle was a young child growing up on his family’s farm in Wapella, Illinois. The sixteenth of nineteen children, Doyle held responsibilities on their farm just as his siblings did: milking cows, collecting eggs, and working in the garden. 

In the blink of an eye, Doyle Karr, a 1986 graduate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, found himself standing on stage in front of the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences’ graduating class of 2024 as a distinguished alumnus and this year’s keynote speaker.  

Education has always been an important value in the Gardner and Hinderliter families. Now, this legacy is enshrined through two gifts from Gardner siblings Leonard and Marian to the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  

Leonard Gardner and his wife, Lila Rhodes Gardner, donated their share of the Gardner farm to establish the Leonard and Lila Gardner Illinois Farm Bureau Family of Companies Endowed Professorship in Agricultural Policy. 

As a college student, Rachel Wyffels made a serendipitous class choice that sparked a passion and shaped her career path.

“As a horticulture major, I was focused on landscape design; then I took one of Dianne Noland's floral design classes because I needed to fill an elective. I ended up really loving it, and I became passionate about flowers,” she said. “I got an internship over the summer working with a floral design business in Chicago that did events, and I was hooked.”

At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, safe workplaces have always been a priority. For Daniel Gaither, director of safety for the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at U. of I., they’re a passion. To observe World Safety and Health Day this year, Gaither reflects on what safety looks like for the vibrant community of students, faculty, and staff in ACES.

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. 

As she opened her email in class, Jacqueline Springer started shaking as emotions overwhelmed her. With tears in her eyes, she rushed outside of the classroom to call her dad. He was just as shocked as she was. 

The phone line was silent as Jacqueline’s news sank in. Only her dad could understand how meaningful it was to receive the Jay Haning Scholarship.

Global food and agriculture strategist Doyle Karr will serve as the May 2024 Convocation Ceremony speaker for the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The graduation ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. on May 12 at the State Farm Center. 

Junior year of high school, Lia sat in chemistry class, listening intently to Mr. Ahring describe the building blocks of proteins. A few hours later, she experienced this same lesson in her food science class. The connection between foods and chemistry? Amino acids. This epiphany and a sit-down pep talk with her chemistry teacher ignited a flame that would catalyze her journey to food science.