Throughout her career, Ann Barlow has seen the power of purpose-driven communication across industries — from financial services and generative AI to soil science, animal nutrition, and agricultural technology. But among all her professional experiences, agricultural communications continue to resonate most deeply.
Although Ann earned her degree in public relations from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1982, it wasn’t until years later that she found a meaningful home in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
“While I wasn’t part of ACES when I was at Illinois, the college has made room for me as if I were a graduate,” she shared.
Today, Ann is a recognizable voice in the agricultural communications program. She regularly guest lectures in classes and leads workshops for the student organization Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT).
“It’s been such a pleasure to work with those students who will soon lead,” she said. “The more effectively we communicate how food is produced — and how essential producers are to our society — the more support this vital community will receive.”
That passion is also what led her to support the James F. Evans Global Center for Food and Agricultural Communications — as an investment in the future of the profession and the people shaping it.
Inspired by the excellence of ACES faculty, staff, and students, Ann hopes her gift helps advance the Center’s mission in the most meaningful ways. “Whatever is most important to achieving the Evans Center’s goals — that’s where I want my support to go,” she said.
Gifts like these — given with trust and flexibility — empower the Evans Center to advance its mission in the most impactful ways. To learn more about pledge and estate giving and how you can support the Evans Center, contact Stacey Cole in the College of ACES Office of Advancement at 217-244-1676 or smcole@illinois.edu — or give now online.