URBANA, Ill. – At the southern tip of the Himalayas, farmers in the Kangra region of India’s Himachal Pradesh graze cattle among rolling hills and forests. The forests, under management by the state or farmer cooperatives, are thriving. But a new University of Illinois study shows, unlike state-managed forests, farmer cooperatives directly benefit both forest health and farmers.

URBANA, Ill. – Many anglers know invasive species cause problems in their favorite fishing spots, but a smaller subset routinely acts to prevent aquatic hitchhikers on boats and other equipment. What sets these anglers apart? A recent study from the University of Illinois attempts to answer that question from a social science perspective.

A new professorship in the Department of Animal Sciences will recognize and reward a talented and accomplished faculty member working in immunophysiology. The Keith W. and Sara M. Kelley Professorship of Immunophysiology is the first endowed professorship in the Department of Animal Sciences.

Although they may not have specifically said it, Mary and Neal Coffman pursued the dream of creating a life filled with love and service, according to their daughter Barbara Coffman.

This service to others continues as Barbara has designated a gift in her estate that will establish scholarship funds to honor both of her parents. “My parents went to school during the Depression, so they knew how difficult it was to pay for a college education,” she explains.

When it comes to professional achievement, H. Richard “Dick” McFarland believed that character and leadership development were just as valuable as formalized classroom education. Not only did he model entrepreneurial success, but he also made sure that Illinois youth and College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) students were afforded opportunities to build a similar path. Two gifts provided by McFarland in his estate will continue to perpetuate that investment in young people.

Wyffels Hybrids recently donated used, fully operational research equipment to the University of Illinois. The Department of Crop Sciences received a combine with a three-row corn head, as well as a four-row planter. Spare equipment parts were also donated.

There are several new faces in leadership roles in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

John and Eunice Campbell have provided support to the College of ACES Jonathan Baldwin Turner Scholarship program for nearly four decades. A former College of ACES dean, John provided the vision to establish the JBT scholarship program in 1978.

Launched in 2001, the International Business Immersion Program (IBIP) has annually taken a group of Illinois undergraduate students with high leadership potential to various countries and continents around the world including Europe, Asia, Brazil, and New Zealand. IBIP is the premier and longest standing program in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics’ suite of experiential learning program offerings.

June 30, 2003

URBANA -- Are animal lovers always nature lovers? Environmental psychologist and University of Illinois professor Joanne Vining has hypothesized that people’s affection for animals may have something to do with how they care about the environment.

Psychologists have done numerous studies on humans and their attachment to animals and/or their pets as well as numerous studies on people’s concern for nature and the environment. Vining is the first to test these factors empirically to see if they influence each other.