Legislators from the Illinois House and Senate Agriculture and Conservation Committee met on the University campus yesterday to review state-funded research, explore new facilities and learn more about the programs within the College of ACES.

The purpose of this meeting was to educate the members and help the two committees have a better understanding of what is happening inside the college, said Robert Easter, Dean of the College of ACES.

"I think the impact for students is on the value that comes from having legislators who understand our university," he said.

Legislators and agricultural leaders were able to discuss the research goals and see where the money is spent, said Illinois State Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke. He said the discussion will hopefully increase research funding for the state of Illinois.

"The budget today (for the College of ACES) is about a quarter lower than it was before," said Associate Dean for Research, Steven Pueppke.

The budget for the 2003 fiscal year was around 61.3 million and the state of Illinois appropriates less than 28 percent of that total, Pueppke said.

Nine faculty members showcased their research in short presentations at the meeting.

Michael Ellis, professor of swine nutrition, displayed his 5-year project on controlling odor and waste management issues. In his presentation he said he was able to highlight the problems, show the progress, and give the legislative members some insight on his research.

"The students are the future of Illinois," he said. "One of the legislative tasks is to put legislators in positions to promote research that will create a better tomorrow."