IESP research faculties Dr. Moira Zellner and Dr. Sybil Derrible are awarded an Illinois Innovation Network grant

The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) is a group of 15 university-based hubs across the state working to boost Illinois’ economy through entrepreneurship, research and workforce development. In July 2020, IIN awarded seed grants to teams that will use collaborative research to improve nutrition, turn trash into usable products, explore urban-rural connections, and enhance agricultural practices. The proposals were required to include researchers from at least two IIN hubs and be completed within one year of receiving funding. Proposals were evaluated on their alignment with IIN principles, how well they address their stated areas of sustainability, the scope of their work and level of collaboration, and their potential for further work. The UIC/IESP funded projects is:

Sustainable urban-regional modeling network (SURe Modeling)
John Murphy, research associate professor of anthropology, Northern Illinois University; Moira Zellner, associate professor of urban planning and policy, University of Illinois at Chicago; Sybil Derrible, associate professor of sustainable infrastructure systems, UIC.
Establish a network of researchers to examine how large cities are connected to smaller urban areas in their regions. This will include modeling of coupled social and ecological systems to explore sustainable pathways for the greater Chicago region.