View this email online.

Whether your summer brought new experiences, travel, rest or research, we hope everyone in the UIC community is ready for the new academic year. As the university becomes busy again, so does its collective energy to advance sustainability at UIC. This issue features upcoming events, learning opportunities and new initiatives that reflect the university’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. Read on discover how to you can become involved as the fall semester begins.

On July 16, UIC hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open its Computer Design Research and Learning Center.

The 135,000-square-foot building features 16,000 square feet of classroom space, 21 faculty research labs and a 1,200-square-foot robotics lab. It is part of the UIC campus master plan and supported by the Rebuild Illinois capital plan through a $129.8 million allocation from the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and contributions from several donors. 

UIC is seeking LEED Gold certification for the center, which incorporates a major new geothermal system beneath Memorial Grove to assist sustainable heating and cooling.

Computer science, data science and engineering classes will be held in the building this fall.

PSPM facilitates a for-credit student internship program in partnership with the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs (CUPPA) and the School of Public Health (SPH) by offering a course each fall and spring. The fall US/PUBH 390 course provides sophomores, juniors and seniors with the opportunity to apply sustainability concepts through project-based internships. Students are placed with UIC departments or units to support campus sustainability initiatives while gaining hands-on experience.

The course will meet on Tuesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the Behavioral Sciences Building (BSB) classroom 185. Interns will contribute approximately eight hours per week outside of class to their internship assignments.

While this internship is unpaid, students will receive three academic credit hours for their participation.

Principles of Sustainability, Climate and Health (GC550 CRN 48886 and EOHS 594 CRN 220258), an asynchronous graduate-level course taught by Adjunct Assistant Professor Cynthia Klein-Banai, PhD and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Public Health Sheetal Khedkar Rao, MD.

The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the connections between sustainability, climate change, public health and societal systems. Students will explore the impacts of climate change as a “wicked” sustainability problem and examine topics such as One Health, system dynamics, cascading effects, and climate justice. It is open to graduate students interested in public health, environmental studies, or sustainability across disciplines.

For more information about the course, email Dr. Klein-Banai or Dr. Rao.

Eligible UIC employees can set aside up to $325 per month in pre-tax earnings to pay for qualified mass transit expenses through the convenience of payroll deduction. In partnership with Benefit Resource (BRI), the university’s Commuter Benefit Program supports sustainable commuting by allowing funds to be used for public transportation options like buses, subways and trains. Enrollment is open year-round for active employees at any University of Illinois System location who have a regular need to use Chicago-area public transportation for work-related purposes. Funds will be available in alignment with payroll cycles.

Visit benefitresource.com to register using code uillinois and zip code 60612 for your initial login. Additional details are available through the U of I System’s Commuter Benefit Program web page.

The Great Stuff Exchange (GSX) is an office supplies giveaway program. Join Planning, Sustainability and Project Management (PSPM) for this annual event on Tuesday, August 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Quad. PSPM collects surplus but usable office supplies each year which are offered free to students, faculty and staff.

• Available items include:

• Three-ring binders

• Hanging file folders

• Pocket folders

• Binder clips

• Paper clips

• Boxes of staples

• Sticky notes

• File racks, including rolling file holders

• Toner and ink cartridges

Volunteers are needed to assist with the event and will have early access to grab some office supplies before their shift. Apply online at go.uic.edu/EcoVolunteers.

If you have questions or need more information about GSX, please mail recycling@uic.edu.

Re:wild Your Campus is a national student-led organization working to eliminate synthetic pesticide use and promote ecological land care practices on college campuses. With its focus on sustainability, environmental justice and student empowerment, the initiative aligns with UIC’s broader commitments to biodiversity, public health and equitable campus environments. Re:wild Your Campus is hosting the next session of its virtual Ground Up Advocacy Bootcamp on August 19, from 4 to 7:30 p.m.

This free workshop is open to students and community members interested in learning about pesticide impacts, rewilding and the intersection of environmental and social justice. Participants will leave with tools to advocate for healthier, more sustainable landscapes and will have the opportunity to join a national network of student changemakers.

Register at rewildyourcampus.org/bootcamp.

Recycle university-owned and personal electronics in September during the Campus Electronic Recycling Collection.

Any electronic equipment belonging to the university must be disposed of in accordance with Business and Finance Equipment Disposal procedures. All you need to do is bring your paperwork and your items to the collection location.

Campus Electronic Recycling Collection – east side of campus

Date: Wednesday, September 10

Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location: Parking pad south of Hull House

Campus Electronic Recycling Collection – west side of campus

Date: Wednesday, September 17

Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location: East end of Arthington Mall near Wolcott St.

If you have questions about what can be accepted, please email recycling@uic.edu.

Volunteers are also needed to assist with these events. Visit go.uic.edu/EcoVolunteers to sign up online.

As part of its ongoing efforts to restore and protect Chicago’s river system, Friends of the Chicago River is seeking volunteers to participate in its next Canal Origins Park Community Cleanup, 2701 S Ashland Ave, on September 13, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Volunteers will help remove plastic litter and other debris that impacts wildlife habitat, water quality and community health. This free family-friendly event includes all supplies, safety guidance and on-site support and no experience is necessary.

Registration is encouraged and is required for minors. Visit the Friends of the Chicago River website to learn more about their work to protect and restore the Chicago-Calumet River system.

UIC’s Energy Resources Center is home to the Sustainable Landscapes team, which leads research and conservation projects focused on habitat restoration and pollinator protection. One of the team’s key initiatives is administering the Monarch Butterfly Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances, a nationwide effort supporting monarch populations through voluntary habitat management on energy and transportation lands.

The team also facilitates the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group, a national network that brings together public and private partners to improve habitat conservation practices on working landscapes. These programs reflect UIC’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and biodiversity across sectors.

To learn more or explore how to get involved, visit the  Rights-of-Way website.

Fourteen students in the inaugural EcoVenture study abroad program explored sustainability practices in Grenoble, France, which was recognized as Europe’s “green capital” in 2022. The program was led by Jessica Hoselton, senior lecturer and assistant coordinator in the Department of French and Francophone Studies. The month-long EcoVenture program combined French language immersion with on-the-ground engagement with urban sustainability through experiential learning activities.

Highlights included visiting a LEED Platinum-certified building operated by Schneider Electric, learning from local officials about Grenoble’s climate initiatives and participating in a zero-waste cooking workshop at Le Bar Radis. The group also toured an eco-district and a rooftop garden while drawing connections between Grenoble’s practices and initiatives underway in Chicago.

Learn more about what the students experienced
at @eco.venture.uic on Instagram.

Students and researchers from the UIC School of Public Health are contributing to a safer and more sustainable Lake Michigan through Chicago’s beach water testing program, a ten-year collaboration between UIC and the Chicago Park District.

Each morning from Memorial Day to Labor Day, student contributors collect and test water samples from 28 beaches using rapid DNA-based methods to detect bacteria that could affect swimmers health. Results are delivered the same morning to inform daily swim advisories. Led by Abhilasha Shrestha in the Water Microbiology Research Laboratory, the project has trained nearly 90 students since 2015 and highlights the role of public health research in advancing environmental sustainability at UIC and beyond. This work also reflects UIC’s commitment to becoming a net zero water university by 2050 by reducing water consumption, expanding non-potable water use and managing stormwater runoff.

Visit the Chicago Park District beaches web page to learn more about beach water quality testing.

The 2025 Image of Research competition, organized by the UIC Graduate College and University Library, showcases the breadth of graduate and professional student research through visual storytelling. This year’s winning entries span diverse disciplines and locations, from climate research in Greenland to pollution monitoring in the Chicago River. First place in the still image category went to Frances Crable for capturing the quiet urgency of glacial melt during an Arctic expedition. The competition highlights the power of visual media to communicate complex ideas, including sustainability, public health, and environmental change.

View the winning 2025 entries and their full descriptions along with winners from previous years on the UIC institutional repository.

Sustainable Community Schools Program Coordinator - Chicago Public Schools

Student & Public Sustainability Programming Coordinator - Penn State University

Connect with us via Instagram, Facebook and YouTube to stay updated about sustainability-related events, news, jobs and involvement opportunities.

Become an EcoVolunteer
EcoVolunteers help eventgoers properly sort waste, set up and run annual events like the Great Stuff Exchange, talk about UIC’s sustainable initiatives and spread the good word at campus events. EcoVolunteers also help plant trees and native plants on campus.

More information can be found on the EcoVolunteer web page

Join EcoReps
EcoReps act as liaisons between their unit/department and Planning, Sustainability and Project Management. Group members attend webinars throughout the year to learn about sustainability issues and how to make their office space and culture more sustainable. They also share information with their organizations about upcoming sustainability events such as the Great Stuff Exchange, Campus Electronic Recycling Events and Earth Day.

You can find out more on the EcoReps web page.

The Chancellor's Committee on Sustainability and Energy (CCSE) focuses on implementing CCAP 2024 and achieving the UIC Climate Commitments.

Join a subcommittee!