Giving news

International exchange was a foundational experience for Ron and Melanie Warfield, and now, the couple hopes to help students follow in their footsteps. Through a $1 million gift to the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the couple has created the Ron and Melanie Warfield Global Scholars and Experiential Learning Innovation Fund.

When students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign need assistance, they now have a one-of-a-kind campus hub designed to help Illinois students find their way. The Connie Frank CARE (Coordination, Assistance, Response, and Education) Center, located on the fourth floor of the Turner Student Services Building, provides resources for individualized non-clinical case management, basic needs, assistance with problem-solving, and emergency resources in times of distress or crisis. The Connie Frank CARE Center is designed to support all U. of I. students.

The Merlin Taber Collaborative Research Fund seeks to encapsulate the essence of Merlin’s illustrious career—a dedication to collaborative endeavors that transcend institutional and disciplinary boundaries. This fund is tailored to support and incentivize collaborative research projects between the School of Social Work and the Children and Family Research Center, mirroring Merlin’s interdisciplinary approach to comprehending and impacting critical issues faced by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Puzzle-enthusiast Wei-Hwa Huang’s $2.5 million donation to LabEscape will allow the Department of Physics’ escape room to establish a new space in Chicago and significantly expand its impact and outreach mission.

The dream of a collaborative, state-of-the-art maker space for Illinois materials science and engineering students came to fruition with an April ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The School of Social Work is pleased to announce the creation of the Lori Davis DeYoung Scholarship for Cultural Representation in Child Welfare. Dr. Lori Davis DeYoung (BS ’90, MSW ’92, PhD ’00) is a lifelong advocate whose decades of service in child welfare, mental health, and Veteran health care have been defined by courageous systems change and a deep commitment to vulnerable families.

A generous gift from two lifelong learners has established the first named lecture series within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in The Grainger College of Engineering. The Ballard Seminars in Emerging Technology will focus on the 11 technical research areas that reflect the tremendous breadth and depth of the electrical and computer engineering department.

Pending approval from the Board of Trustees, the Technology Entrepreneur Center at U. of I. will be named the Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship in recognition of more than $20 million in cumulative contributions from Richard and Gayle Landuyt. In addition to funding the Landuyt Center programs and activities, the landmark investments fund the Landuyt Center director position and previously endowed the first joint professorship between Grainger Engineering and Gies College of Business.