IL SR1208

Illinois Senate expresses condolences on the death of Burton E. "Burt" Swanson, Ph.D., of Champaign, who passed away on April 23, 2020.

Swanson was a professor of rural development at University of Illinois who worked for 45+ years in international agricultural extension and rural development across over 35 countries.

He served as director of INTERPAKS, founded the Association of International Agricultural Extension Education (AIAEE), and secured a $9 million grant in 2010 to establish the MEAS project.

Swanson previously served in the Peace Corps in Cyprus and worked with Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug at CIMMYT in Mexico, authoring several books translated into seven languages.

He is survived by his wife Iris, two children, multiple grandchildren, and other family members.