ESES 20th Year Reunion - Saturday April 17th 2027

group in front of the mammoth

Twenty Years of Earth, Society and Environmental Sustainability!

It's been twenty years since the program started, and we'd love to see you again. Next April we're inviting everyone who has come through ESES back to Champaign-Urbana for a relaxed day of walking, eating, and catching up.

Whether you graduated in the first few years or just last spring, this is for you. Bring your family, find your old classmates, and see what the program looks like now.

 
Sangamon river

Morning Guided Nature Hike

We'll start the morning at Allerton Park, about forty minutes from campus, with a walk through the woods and along the Sangamon. Faculty will be along to talk natural history and science, so expect a few tangents about floodplains and oak trees. Then we'll have a picnic lunch together.
quad

Evening Banquet on Campus

Take a break in the afternoon: Wander the Quad, visit your old haunts, or have a rest. In the late afternoon we'll meet back at the  for a few short talks by some of your favorite professors, a chance to catch up with fellow alums, and a buffet dinner with plenty of time to talk.

Familiar faces

I (Jonathan Tomkin!) will be there, along with the current Director Jeff Trapp, current faculty Nooreen Meghani and Constance Brown, and emeritus professor Rob Kanter. We're expecting some of the program's former Directors, including Bob Rauber and Steve Marshak, will join us too. 

Commencement

Find your classmates

The best part of a reunion is knowing who else is coming. Our SESE alumni group on LinkedIn is a good place to find old classmates, say hello, and share what you've been up to since graduation. If you're thinking of coming in April, post and tell people; it's the easiest way to talk your friends into it.

Barraboo

Got old photos from class or field trips? Share them there too. We'd love to see them, and some might end up on this page.

arenal volcano

Can't make it?

We'd still love to hear from you. Our current students are always looking for people who've been where they are: mentors, guests for a class, or just someone to ask about careers and who's worth talking to. If you'd be up for any of that, let us know here.

What happens next

Invitations and registration will go out in late February. In the meantime, please make sure we have your current details, and pass this along to classmates we might have lost track of.

Questions? Email me at tomkin@illinois.edu.

Hope to see you in April!
Jonathan