Nominate an ACES Alumni

Recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of living University of Illinois College of ACES alumni who have excelled in their careers, leadership or service upon graduation from college.

Scoring

Scoring will consist of 48% Professional Accomplishments and Service to Professional Organizations, 27% Service to the University of Illinois and College of ACES, 16% Community Achievement and Service to the Community; 6% Awards and Honors, and 3% Nominator’s Letter of Endorsement and Letters of Reference.

Guidelines for Nomination:

• Submit the completed nomination form.  Complete applications should include all relevant information within the nomination form. (Letters of reference only serve to support the nomination and are minimally factored in scoring.) Nominee information is limited to the area available in each area of the form. Do not attach extra pages.
• Attach two letters of reference in support of this nomination. One letter of reference must be from a University of Illinois past or current faculty or staff member. Names, addresses and an email must be included on reference letters.
• Attach resume of nominee (no vitas please).
• All nomination forms, resumes, and letters of recommendation must be completed and submitted electronically to Kendra Courson at kecourso@illinois.edu
• Applications are due February 1, 2021.

No confirmation of receipt of the nomination will be sent.  All materials received for a single nominee will constitute that person’s nomination.  It is the responsibility of the nominator(s) to ensure that all materials have been received by the College of ACES Alumni Association office.

NEW - Applications will only be considered for one year.  The same application may be resubmitted for up to three years.  It is recommended to update the application with any new or missing information before re-submitting.  If a nominee is not selected within the three year period, a new application can be submitted after 3 years.

Questions please contact:

Kendra Courson

Interim Director of Alumni Engagement

Director of Special Events

College of ACES Alumni Association

University of Illinois - MC 632

Suite 115 ACES Library 

1101 S. Goodwin Ave.

Urbana, IL 61801

kecourso@illinois.edu

View all past award winners online: http://acesalumni.illinois.edu/awards

2021 Award of Merit Tips from the Alumni Board of Directors 

2021 Award of Merit Application 

Background

The University of Illinois College of ACES Alumni Association Career Achievement Award was created in 2017 by the College of ACES Alumni Association to recognize graduates from the College of ACES who have had exceptional professional achievement and/or made extraordinary humanitarian contributions.  Distinctive from the Award of Merit, which recognizes an individual’s combined body of work, this award recognizes a more focused, exceptional contribution or achievement.

Eligibility Criteria

• Is a graduate of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) or a predecessor college (College of Agriculture or the School of Human Resources and Family Studies/Home Economics) receiving a bachelors, masters and/or doctorate degree(s) AND
• has contributed significantly to his/her profession, industry, and/or the greater community; OR
• has a record of outstanding personal and professional accomplishments; OR
• has made extraordinary contribution via volunteer or humanitarian efforts resulting in meaningful or life-changing impacts for a significant population.
• Award of Merit recipients are not eligible for this award.

Nomination Procedure 

The College of ACES Alumni Awards committee will review all nominations and make selections.

Individuals selected for recognition will be contacted by the College of ACES Alumni Association and a date will be determined to recognize the individual.

Nomination Document

All nominations should follow the format of the nomination form to insure all relevant information is included.

Applications will only be considered for one year.  Applications may be resubmitted for up to three years.  If a nominee is not selected after 3 years, a new application can be submitted after 3 additional years.

Nomination Submission

All nomination materials must be emailed to: acesalumni@illinois.edu

All materials received for a single nominee will constitute that person’s nomination. It is the responsibility of the nominator(s) to insure that all materials have been received by the College of ACES Alumni Association office.

Nomination Process/Timeline
A call for nominations will be made in coordination with ACES College Connection fall events.

Recognition
Selected individuals will be recognized during ACES College Connection if they are able to attend. If the recipient is unavailable to attend, another appropriate time and location for recognition will be determined. The selected individuals will also become Round Barn Society members and will be pinned when receiving their recognition.

Scoring

Scoring will consist of 85% professional accomplishments and 15% service to community.

Each year the College of ACES Alumni Association honors up to three outstanding graduates of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement, or through outstanding leadership or service have significantly enhanced or improved the lives of others.

Guidelines for Nomination:

• Nominees must have received a bachelors, masters or doctorate degree from the University of Illinois College of ACES.
• Nominee must be under the age of 40 on January 1, 2020.
• Nominee must be able to attend ACES College Connection Weekend activities in the Fall 2020 to accept the award.
• Submit the completed nomination form. Complete applications should include all relevant information within the nomination form and letters of support should only support the nomination, they are not scored.
• Provide a biographical sketch (1 page maximum) about the nominee. (included in nomination packet)
• Nomination information is limited to text box area provided in each area. Do not attach extra pages.

Please attach:

• Attach a minimum of two letters of reference and a maximum of four, in support of this nomination. One letter of reference should be from a University of Illinois faculty or staff member. Names and addresses must be included on reference letters.
• Attach resume of nominee (no vitas please).
• All nominations are kept on file for three years to be reviewed for the ACES Young Alumni Award, however nominators are encouraged to update forms if they are re-considered after the initial year of application.

View videos of Young Alumni Award Winners

The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Family Spirit Award recognizes those family members who have demonstrated their support of the College as alumni and/or current students. Selection will be based on, but not limited to a display of sincere dedication to the College of ACES and significant connections to the College and University. Awardees will be honored during the ACES Alumni Weekend activities in Fall 2020.

Guidelines for Nomination:

• Nominee should be able to attend ACES Alumni Weekend activities during Fall 2020.
• Complete and submit the nomination form.

Please attach:

• Attach a minimum of two and a maximum of three letters of reference, in support of this nomination. Either the nomination or one letter of reference must be from a University of Illinois faculty or staff member. Name, addresses, and email addresses must be included on reference letters.

All nominations are kept on file for three years to be reviewed for the ACES Family Spirit Alumni Award.

View videos of ACES Family Spirit Award winners

Illinois alumni are recognized throughout the year for their successes and contributions. Every year during Commencement weekend at the University of Illinois, the UI Alumni Association recognizes outstanding alumni with the Alumni Achievement, Alumni Humanitarian and Distinguished Service awards. Other honors, such as the Chicago Illini of the Year Awards, are presented at annual events. Here is a complete list of awards, past recipients and instructions on how to nominate someone for recognition. Learn more about university awards and how to nominate an alum today!

University of Illinois Alumni Awards include:

• Alumni Achievement Award
• Alumni Humanitarian Award
• Chicago Illini of the Year Award
• Constituent Leadership Award
• Distinguished Service Award
• Illini Comeback Award
• Lou Liay Spirit Award

Please contact the College of ACES Alumni Association if you nominate an alum!