With Illinois Campaign

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

Celebrating the impact of your generosity

It is difficult to adequately express my gratitude for the generous gifts made to ACES during the With Illinois Campaign. Student, faculty, and programmatic support increased access and enhanced experiences. Significant donations allowed us to pursue major upgrades to facilities that will serve our research mission, students, and the public for generations to come.

A new Feed Technology Center now stands, fully operational, at the south end of campus. Its capacity to turn locally grown grain into nutritious diets for livestock and companion animals provides endless opportunities for researchers, students, and industry partners. Likewise, thanks to a gift from its namesake, The Doris Kelley Christopher Illinois Extension Center will serve as the future home of Illinois Extension and 4-H.

Every donation is a demonstration of trust and partnership in what we do at ACES. We are committed to delivering on that trust by conducting cutting-edge research, translating findings to the public, and training the leaders of tomorrow.

Germán Bollero
Interim Dean

With Illinois Impact

As we mark the end of the With Illinois Campaign, the College of ACES has been transformed by donor support.

251603134 Dollars Raised

29750 Campaign Donors

309 New Funds Supporting Scholarships, Fellowships, and Faculty Positions

40125726.52 Unrestricted Dollars Raised

11253 First-Time Donors

106 New Planned Gifts

With Illinois Highlights

Your support has helped us continue to elevate the values that make Illinois distinctive: a sense of boundless aspiration, collaboration, and a global perspective.

Alumna’s Visionary Gift to Create Extension Center

Illinois alumna and Pampered Chef founder Doris Kelley Christopher provided a visionary, $45 million gift to establish the Doris Kelley Christopher Illinois Extension Center. The Extension Center will be located in the Urbana-Champaign campus’ Arboretum and will serve as a central location for Illinois Extension, whose staff spans the entire state. The Center’s creation will provide a lasting impact among students, faculty, staff, and the community by combining the educational power of the University of Illinois College of ACES and the resources and outreach of Illinois Extension. This inspiring new hub for collaboration will assist Illinois Extension’s mission of serving all Illinois residents. Read more.

Stuart and Nancy Levenick with Jeff Brawn

Chair, Scholars Program Elevate Work in Sustainability

Stuart and Nancy Levenick of Naples, Florida, signaled their commitment to environmental sustainability with a 2019 gift supporting an endowed chair in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES) and a resident scholar’s program in the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment (iSEE). Jeff Brawn is the inaugural holder of this first endowed chair in NRES. Read more.

Donor Honors Family Legacy with Farmland Gift

Illinois 4-H and the University of Illinois have been a part of Nann Armstrong’s heritage for multiple generations. With a 2020 gift of farmland, Armstrong ensured her family’s legacy will continue to impact current and future generations of 4-H members and students in the College of ACES Department of Human Development and Family Studies. Read more.

Alumni, Community Partners Celebrate 40-year Career of Assistant Dean

Looking back over the highlights and successes of his 40-year career in academic programs, Jesse Thompson returns to the same theme over and over—relationships.

As he celebrated retirement, many who value their relationships with Thompson and the University of Illinois College of ACES provided gifts to establish the Jesse C. Thompson Endowed Scholarship Fund. Read more.

Alumnus Encourages Others to Explore Many Ways to Remain Connected

Once an Illini, always an Illini. This maxim is more than an expression of alumni loyalty for Dave Shockey (Ag Science, ’80; Law, ’83). It is a way of life.

Shockey’s connection to Illinois is far from faded since he graduated from the College of ACES in 1980 and from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1983. There are many diverse ways alumni can remain connected with and support the College of ACES, something Shockey embraces. Read more.

With Illinois Moments

Take a look at a few of the moments that have shaped the culture and character of the College of ACES during the With Illinois Campaign.

Generous gifts from University of Illinois alumni Rich and Sue Baader have reinvigorated and renovated the Stock Pavilion. Read more.

Because of a generous gift, along with additional support from ACES, U of I Office of the Provost, and the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, a new playground was installed at the Child Development Lab. Read more.

A newly constructed, state-of-the-art Feed Technology Center reflects the University of Illinois’ reputation as a leader in animal management, nutrition, and production. Read more.

Lila Jean Eichelberger 4-H camp building dedication

Youth attending 4-H Memorial Camp enjoy the use of a hands-on, multi-purpose learning facility, which bears the name Eichelberger Hall. Read more.

The Hugh P. Morrison Scholarship Award, presented to an outstanding ACES senior, is made possible by an endowed gift from Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., now Corteva. Read more.

COVID impacts – images from IBRL hand sanitizer

Integrated Bioprocessing Research Lab, partners step up with hand sanitizer production during early days of pandemic. Read more.

Continue Your Support

Your continued support ensures the College of ACES remains a place where progress and innovation can flourish. Find your passion and help us dream even bigger!

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See More Impact

Philanthropy has benefited students, faculty, and staff in many ways. Browse the list below to learn more about how the With Illinois Campaign’s impact can be felt across campus.