Giving BACK University of Illinois alumns and beef producers, Ed and Judy McMillan, generously donate to the College of ACES new Feed Technology Center. by Madison Wilson
E
d McMillan and his wife Judy, both graduates of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, have roots which run deep in agriculture. Both them and their families, at one point or another, have owned and operated livestock operations. With Ed’s extensive background in agriculture, going from 4-H member, to Agriculture Sciences graduate in 1969, to president and CEO of Purina, to 12-year member of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees – Ed’s leadership and dedication to the betterment of the agricultural industry, to The University of Illinois, and the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences (ACES) is evident. That is why he felt it necessary to give back in an incredibly impactful way
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Illinois Beef - March/April 2021
– through a donation to the Department of Animal Sciences Feed Technology Center. Three fundamental things drove Ed’s donation to the construction of this facility – his family, his alma mater, and the potential he sees for the advancement of feed technology, and the critical nature of this research for feed nutrition going forward. “My brother and I really wanted to have an opportunity to do recognition for our parents who were tenant farmers and never had the chance to go to the University of Illinois – we’re doing it as the McMillan family…” Ed says of him and his brother Ken’s dedication in making this donation, who were the first individual donors to this project.
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