People

From classifying mosquitos in the Amazon to conserving natural resources in a war zone, Dr. McKenzie Johnson brings significant international experience to the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES), where she recently joined the faculty as an assistant professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences.  

Johnson is also a recent recipient of an ACES International Seed Grant for a project she will initiate this spring: “Environment and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding in Colombia.”

URBANA, Ill. — University of Illinois Extension is calling all lovers of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that keep our crops and gardens growing to join scientists in tracking their distribution and habitat use across the state, from the comfort of your home, school, or community garden.

URBANA, Ill. – During the Vietnam War, United States aircraft sprayed more than 20 million gallons of herbicides, including dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange, on the country’s rain forests, wetlands, and croplands. Agent Orange defoliated the thick jungle vegetation concealing Viet Cong fighters and destroyed a portion of the country’s food crops, but it was primarily the dioxin contaminant that harmed so many Vietnamese and U.S. military personnel.

URBANA, Ill. – The Weed Science Society of America last week recognized Adam Davis, head and professor in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois, with a Fellow award, the society’s highest honor. The award recognizes Davis’s outstanding contributions to the field of weed science, particularly his use of ecological and quantitative principles to inform effective weed management.

URBANA, Ill. – Adding soy flour to school lunches in Ghana provides a cost-efficient way of increasing the protein level, according to a new study co-authored by a University of Illinois researcher.

Soy is known to be a low-cost protein source, says Peter Goldsmith, professor of agricultural and consumer economics at the U of I. “But the thesis that soy is a good ingredient in a national school lunch program had yet to be proven, though everyone assumed it.”

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.