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Darin Joos, a proud alum of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, knows a thing or two about the university’s beloved South Farms. Joos now manages the research facility, where he and his colleagues bring agricultural education to life in innovative ways.

Professor Elizabeth “Lisa” Ainsworth was formally honored as the Charles Adlai Ewing Endowed Chair in Crop Physiology in the Department of Crop Sciences at an investiture ceremony held at the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, on March 27, 2025.

Two ACES faculty members have been named 2024 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society. Animal sciences professors Isaac Cann and Matthew Wheeler are among the 471 scientists, engineers, and innovators chosen by their peers for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements. 

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.

A first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary center focused on creating a climate-smart circular bioeconomy is poised for significant growth, with the appointment of a director, two endowed professorships, and a major campus commitment to hire four new faculty in departments across the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Lisa Ainsworth has been named director of the internationally acclaimed Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency project, which is led by the University of Illinois.

Longtime Chicago residents may miss the chocolatey fragrance wafting from Blommer Chocolate Company's now-shuttered West Loop factory. However, despite the closing of the factory, the Chicago headquarters and laboratories of one of North America’s largest cocoa processor remain. 

According to some popular culture writers and online posts by discouraged singles lamenting their inability to find romantic partners, dating is “broken,” fractured by the social isolation created by technology, pandemic lockdowns and potential partners’ unrealistic expectations.

After decades of impactful and prolific research, two photosynthesis trailblazers are passing the torch. Stephen Long and Donald Ort are retiring from their leadership roles for the Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) project at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Globally recognized as one of the most influential modern scientists, Elizabeth “Lisa” Ainsworth has been named Professor and C.A. Ewing Chair of Crop Physiology in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She also holds a joint professorship in the Department of Plant Biology at Illinois.