College of ACES welcomes largest class in 50 years, strengthens faculty with 11 promotions and 14 new hires

The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is entering the new academic year with significant growth, welcoming both its largest freshman class in 50 years and a talented cohort of faculty members. This fall, the college has promoted 11 faculty members and added 14 new faculty, further enhancing its academic, research, and outreach capabilities.

In August, ACES welcomed 642 freshmen and 170 transfer students, bringing the student body to 2,900 undergraduate students and 768 graduate students. This is the largest incoming class since the 1973 class of 647 freshmen. 

"We are thrilled to welcome the largest incoming freshman class in half a century to the ACES family,” said College of ACES Dean Germán Bollero. “This milestone reflects not only the growing interest in our fields of study but also the incredible trust that students and their families have placed in our college. With such a talented and diverse group of future leaders joining our ACES community, I am confident we are poised to drive sustainable solutions and enrich communities here in Illinois and beyond."

The new class includes 27% first-generation students, which matches first-generation representation across the college overall. A quarter of the incoming transfer class are also first-generation students. 

The freshman class is 83% in-state, from 51 counties. The college-wide undergraduate student body is 88% in-state representing 87 counties, further strengthening ACES’s deep connections with communities statewide. 

This year’s freshman class includes 24.8% from underrepresented groups, which is slightly higher than campus at 22%. Overall, the college’s undergraduate student body is slightly more diverse (25.4%) compared to last year (24.7%). ACES is committed to offering programming and support to continually diversify its student body to fully represent the population at large. The college appointed its first dean to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in January to energize these efforts.

Dean Bollero also emphasized the importance of faculty growth and retention to sustain the college’s momentum. “Faculty promotions and new hires are vital to maintaining the strength of our college and sustaining our mission,” Bollero said. “By elevating our current faculty and bringing in fresh perspectives, we ensure that our students and stakeholders benefit from the highest levels of scholarship, teaching, and outreach. These individuals will help drive our continued impact in the communities we serve, both locally and globally.”