Undergraduate Program Update

Undergraduate Programs in ACE experienced many changes, achievements, and new projects this spring! We recently welcomed two new advisors to our team – Aaron Slack and Lindsay March. Aaron Slack steps into the Academic Advisor and Recruitment Coordinator role. An alum of Illinois' Agricultural Education program, Aaron spent several years teaching high school agriculture and serving as FFA Advisor at Paxton-Buckley-Loda. Lindsay March began as an Academic Advisor who will split their role between advising undergraduate students and advising and recruiting students for our non-thesis master's programs (MAAE). Lindsay earned their MA in Higher Education from the University of Arizona and brings a five-year background in housing and residence life.  

We experienced yet another record-breaking year of first year enrollments! 171 first-year students accepted their admission to ACE for the fall, compared to 154 first-year students at this time last year. Over 80% of those students are residents of the state of Illinois. To support our growing number of first year students, we have restructured our first-year experience course with the goal of creating student cohorts within program areas. We look forward to building community among these fantastic new ACE students. 

Undergraduate Curriculum Review

Toward the end of the spring semester, the department assembled an Undergraduate Curriculum Review Committee charged with creating curricula that better aligns with the educational goals of our students and labor market demands. The first stage of this review involves collecting and analyzing data from a variety of perspectives - one of which is yours! The Undergraduate Curriculum Review Committee seeks feedback from alumni and employers that can inform the development of ACE learning objectives and curriculum design. If you would like to contribute to this work, please complete this feedback form at your earliest convenience.

International Business Immersion Program

Students in ACE 436: International Business Immersion Program (IBIP) returned from an 11-day study abroad program to Brazil at the end of May. During their program, they visited multinational companies, learned about the AgTech start-up ecosystem, explored the local economy, and immersed themselves in the Brazilian culture. IBIP is designed to give students exposure to the global agriculture and food industry and provide opportunities to explore the sector’s current challenges and opportunities within a specific country or region. The program is led by ACE instructor Meredith Blumthal and experiential learning coordinator Chaya Sandler, and research associate Dr. Joana Colussi accompanied. Blumthal, whose return to ACE was explored in an ACES News story last fall, implemented a global classroom, meaning students from Illinois had the opportunity to collaborate with students from Brazil and Mexico on a client-based project for an AgTech start-up in Brazil. Students acted as consultants, providing recommendations on farmers’ willingness to adopt technologies, sharing benchmarking for existing agriculture technologies in their respective countries, and helping the client understand the market penetration of agriculture technology within their respective countries. While on the program, Illinois students got to meet their Brazilian teammates from the class project as well as visit with the client firm at the AgTech Garage Innovation Center in Piracicaba, Brazil.  

If you’d like to learn more about IBIP and read about the group's time in Brazil, check out this recent ACES News story, and consider giving to support future IBIP programs.

Graduate Program Update

This semester, we celebrated another cohort of graduate students transitioning to alumni status. On May 11, the Department hosted our annual Graduation Celebration, where we celebrated the accomplishments of seven graduates from our grad programs this spring and summer. All our graduates have secured professional placements in industry, research, and academia. We wish them all well!  

We also wrapped up a busy graduate admissions season. This fall, we will welcome 21 new students to our MAAE, MS, and PhD programs – the biggest cohort in several years.

Center for the Economics of Sustainability

The Center for the Economics of Sustainability (CEOS) is a research center housed within ACE, comprising faculty and students who apply economic frameworks to study a wide range of sustainability challenges. The research coming out of CEOS helps inform environmental policy and resource management decisions in Illinois and around the world. 

Their work tackles issues such as the impacts of climate change, the costs and benefits associated with sustainable choices, the cost-effectiveness of alternative policy incentives, and the economic and equity implications across various segments of society. Their aim is sustainable food systems, reliable energy and water systems, healthy environments, and thriving communities.  

CEOS had a busy year, welcoming a new director, two new co-directors, and several faculty members. Check out their website and their recent newsletter to learn more about who they are and what they do. 

Stay in the Know

Our faculty and students are leading innovative research, outreach, and education programs in Illinois and around the world. They address challenges, seek solutions, and build awareness every day. Be sure to check out our Faculty in the News section, at the bottom of this newsletter, highlighting our faculty’s latest research and awards.  

Want to keep up with our research? Make sure to follow us on social media, visit our refreshed Research & Outreach webpages, and keep an eye on ACES News to read about new and impactful research coming out of ACE! 

How to Engage with ACE

Be sure to check out our new alumni webpage to see ways that you can engage with ACE as an alum. From volunteering your time in the classroom to connecting with student organizations to attending events, there are ways for everyone. Not seeing what you’re looking for? Fill out our engagement interest form and tell us how you’d like to connect!

Alumni Spotlight: Mike Gunderson

ACE Concentration and Graduation Year: Agribusiness, Farm, and Financial Management 2001 

What have you’ve been up to since graduating? I spent 20 years in academia, earning graduate degrees from Cornell and Purdue, before serving as a professor at the University of Florida and then returning to Purdue. I left academia to join the Agricultural Finance group at MetLife for three years before stepping into my current role as Chief Credit Officer at Farm Credit Illinois.  

Tell us about your family and hobbies. My wife, Alee, is a University of Tennessee alumna. We have four children: Jarvis, Alma, Elodee, and Rosalie. Currently our hobbies focus on enjoying the kids' activities, but we are also Illinois football season ticket holders and enjoy going to other Illini athletic events when we are able.  

What is your favorite ACE memory? Representing the department with Cindy Boston as the quiz bowl team at the 2000 AAEA meetings in Chicago, Illinois.  

How did ACE shape your experience after college? In many ways, but particularly my undergraduate advisor Sally Thompson changed my life when she told me of graduate school and opportunities beyond.  

What inspired you to join the ACES Alumni Association Board? Part of it is simply having the opportunity to give back to ACES, but some of it was a result of being a professor myself and valuing the input and interaction with industry professionals.

Giving

If you are interested in giving a financial gift to the department, the easiest way to do this is go to the ACE giving site and select the amount for the fund(s) you’d like to give to (e.g. Academic Excellence Fund, Graduate Student Travel Fund, etc.). When you scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see the total gift amount for the selected funds. Click “continue” in orange at the bottom of the page. This will jump you to the UIF giving page and your selections will auto populate at the top so that you can fill in your personal information and finalize your gift. 

Check out Faculty in the News

Marin Skidmore – Soy expansion in Brazil linked to increase in childhood leukemia deaths, designated 2023 Cozzarelli Prize Finalist by PNAS  

Sandy Dall'erba - Illinois partnership with the JJK Foundation in St. Clair County set to provide more than $32 million in labor income creation throughout the state by 2026

Yilan Xu - Social networks can influence perception of climate-change risk

Paul McNamara – McNamara named director of postharvest loss institute at Illinois  

Jonathan Coppess – Between Soil and Society: New book traces history and development of U.S. conservation policy 

Sarah Low – ACE department head highlights engagement and collaboration in research on global stage 

Angela Lyons – Two ACES faculty win Campus Award for Excellence in Instruction 

Sandy Dall'erba and Yilan Xu – Illinois study identifies atmospheric and economic drivers of global air pollution 

Scott Irwin – Extension mindset leads ACE professor to earn LinkedIn Top Voice title 

Becca Taylor – Curbside collection improves organic waste composting, reduces methane emissions 

Maria Kalaitzandonakes – Consumers across political spectrum share food pricing frustrations 

Tapiwa Sigauke and Presley Fee – Women, Money & Power online course open to public 

Madhu Khanna – Despite uncertainties, cellulosic biofuels still a win for ground transportation 

William Ridley – How the Russian invasion of Ukraine has impacted the global wheat market 

Maria Kalaitzandokes – Multistate foodborne illness outbreaks impact restaurant stock price, public perception