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The 2026 Teaching Sustainability Initiative (TSI) is now accepting applications for instructors of all disciplines. Those accepted into the program will earn a stipend for their time.

This program, hosted by Planning, Sustainability and Project Management (PSPM) and the CCSE Education and Research Subcommittee, aims to expand UIC’s sustainability course offerings. Fellows will attend an initial workshop in May 2026 to learn about sustainability concepts and receive instruction on how to incorporate sustainability learning outcomes into their courses. Fellows then spend the summer planning and spring testing out new course materials, reporting back at a final December 2026 workshop.

The deadline is December 12, 2025. Submit your application today!

Email Heather O'Leary (heather@uic.edu) for more information.

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 spring 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 and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Stevenson Hall 220. 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.

Join EOHS's Center for Climate Health Excellence (CECHE) for a biweekly speaker series focusing on nature-based solutions to climate and extreme weather health impacts in Chicago. Speakers include community-based UIC environmental health researchers and external research partners.

The series will take place on Thursday, November 20 and Thursday, December 4 from 3-4 p.m. in room 732 at the School of Public Health and via Zoom.

Donate your used eyeglasses to the Lions of Illinois Foundation. Any pair of glasses donated will be distributed around the world to those in need.

Any kind of glasses can be donated, including readers, sunglasses and safety glasses. However, frames with one or both lenses missing will not be considered. For health and safety reasons, lens cleaners or glass cases cannot be accepted. 

Donations can be dropped off at the collection box by the front desk in the Physical Education Building, 901 W. Roosevelt Road. The collection will be held from November 3 to December 5.

Questions? E-mail Dr. Tina Schmidt-McNulty at mcnultyt@uic.edu.

Don't let the colder temperatures stop you from cycling this winter. The mission of the Chicago Student Cycling Club (CSCC) is to build a thriving, connected community at UIC through cycling.

The group will host workshops, sustainability initiatives and weekly group rides on Sundays. Visit the club's GroupMe to get involved and obtain information about fun rides and other cycling activities.

If you’re traveling in November, consider lower-emission options like carpooling, Amtrak (book early, trains sell out), UIRide if you're traveling to Champaign-Urbana, or Metra for regional trips as far as Kenosha, Wisconsin and South Bend, Indiana.

Did you know air travel alone makes up about 3.7% of UIC’s total emissions inventory? Choosing sustainable travel now supports UIC’s long-term commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Learn more about UIC's emission inventory on SIMAP, a platform used to track the university's carbon footprint.

From October 23 to 26, UIC's Anthropocene Lab and Freshwater Lab, together with the Narrow Bridge Arts Club and Watershed Art & Ecology, hosted Anthropocene Campus Chicago, a four-day experiment in collective learning, art and environmental thought. Part of the global Anthropocene Commons network, the event brought together artists, scientists, activists, and educators to explore how learning can become a form of ecological action. Rooted in Chicago yet oriented toward planetary dynamics, the event connected the region’s waterways and urban ecologies — from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River watershed — with broader questions of climate justice and environmental futures.

Throughout the gathering, participants engaged in workshops, performances, field activities and discussions that blurred the boundaries between research, practice and activism. What emerged was not a single narrative but a shared sense of urgency and care: a recognition that collaboration across disciplines is vital in an era defined by intertwined ecological and social transformations. As a pilot for a larger program planned for 2027, Anthropocene Campus Chicago demonstrated how open, provisional forms of learning can help us envision and enact more sustainable ways of living together.

This October, UIC was represented at two major sustainability conferences.

Professor Julia Kim-Cohen, a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology, attended the October 22-24 2025 AASHE Conference & Expo in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She presented on "Climate Wayfinding: Supporting Students' Climate Engagement" with collaborators Minna Brown (Middlebury College) and Laura England (Appalachian State).

“Presenting at my first AASHE experience was wonderful, and I had some inspiring conversations with people I met there, including Climate Wayfinding peers who presented with me," Kim-Cohen said. "One talk that stood out was the story of the 2018 Camp Fire that wiped out Paradise, CA and how that impacted the Chico State campus. Since then, the university has done tremendous work to improve disaster preparedness and build resilience.”

Professor Jessica Hoselton, a senior lecturer in French and Francophone Studies and assistant director of the French Basic Language Program, attended the National Sustainability Society Conference from October 20-22 at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. She presented “EcoVenture: At the Intersection of Sustainability and Study Abroad.”

“I had a wonderful time presenting my study abroad program and attending several panels," said Hoselton. "The goal of this conference was to promote interdisciplinary connections of sustainability throughout higher education. They encouraged viewing sustainability through a variety of lenses, including the arts, which worked really well for me! I met several professors from different campuses and learned about how they are incorporating sustainability in the curriculum.”

A project supported by the UIC Sustainability Fund has increased pollinator habitat in the Illinois Medical District while also generating 55 pounds of honey that was harvested by UIC students.

The Nutrition Teaching Garden is managed by the College of Applied Health and Sciences' Renea Lyles ’16 MS NUT and has been an inspiration to students and a destination for visitors since its inception. A recent UIC today article described how the project aligns with the university's efforts to maintain its status as both a Bee Campus USA and a Tree Campus USA.

Read more on the UIC today website. 

The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) offers some helpful tips about how to be sustainable during the holidays. 

While the holidays are a time of joy, friendship and family, they also create one million extra tons of garbage per week, the equivalent of an additional 25% per household. The increase is caused by food waste, packaging, gift wrap, decorations, holiday cards and more. This holiday season, try celebrating sustainably with conscious consumption tips provided by SWALCO:

Avoid fast fashion: Trendy clothing is often discarded after a season. Shop secondhand or support brands committed to ethical and sustainable production.

Buy for quality: Choose durable, well-made items that will stand the test of time-whether it's clothing, home goods or holiday decorations. Investing in quality reduces waste in the long run.

Refrain from impulsive buying: Plan your purchases carefully to avoid unnecessary items that might end up unused.

Think beyond material gifts: Consider gifting a membership, concert, trip or experience instead of a physical gift.

Get creative with wrapping: Use reusable gift bags, fabric wraps or other sustainable materials, such as newspaper or baskets. If you do use wrapping paper, try to reuse or recycle it whenever possible. Wrapping paper with foil and sparkles is not recyclable.

Sustainability and Community Engagement Manager - Northwestern University

Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) - Manager, Membership & Marketing

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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!