Institute for Environmental Science and PolicyUniversity of Illinois at Chicago
External Advisory Board Meeting
October 1, 2014
1 October 2014524 SPHW2121 West Taylor StreetChicago, IL 60612
Agenda
8:30am Breakfast and introductions
9:00 “State of the Institute” (T. Theis)
9:30 Discussion and comments
10:00 New IESP predoctoral fellowsN. Ahmad (CME)S. Husseini (CME)
10:45 Break
11:00 Response to EAB report and recommendations (T. Theis) and discussion (all)
12:30pm Lunch
1:00 Further discussion, comments from the Board
2:00 Adjourn
IESP Highlights FY 2013-2014• Emily Minor: promotion to associate professor with indefinite tenure• Research expenditures: $1,592,937 (total $4,996,081)• 40 projects with 75 PIs + co-PIs across 28 units• ICR return $117,912• 14 active projects (as of 8/31/14)—some examples:
– CyberSEES (NSF): “Feasibility of a data integration framework for urban metabolism” (Cruz, Ai, Derrible, Dorevitch, Klein-Banai, Theis) – NCEH: “Building resilience against climate effects in Illinois” (Dorevitch, Forst, Ibrahim, Turnock)– USEPA (ASU): “Material life cycle of nanomaterials” (Theis)– U of Glasgow: “An agent-based model for simulating the process of social exclusion” (Tilahun, Zellner)– Chicago Wilderness Congress 2014 (Wise)
• New large scale collaborative initiatives: – NSF Science and Technology Center: “Sustainability Science and Urban Food Systems” (UIC, UIUC, CSU, PSU, OSU, ASU, VSU)– NSF SRN: “Urban Food System” UIC, UIUC, CSU– NSF PIRE: “Building Resilience and Sustainability in Urban Infrastructures: Aligning Physical Designs with Financial Models” (Theis, Ashton, Minor,
Pagano, Schlickman, Weber, Zellner) – EPA ACE: “Air, Climate and Energy: Center for Urban and Regional Vulnerability Evaluation (ACE:CURVE)”
(w/ ANL, U of C, UND, Cornell, USC, CUNY, UIUC) – NSF RIPS “Supporting the resilience of urban food systems through integrated water, food, and institutional infrastructure” (Zellner, Ai, Ashton, Cruz,
O’Connor, Powell, Theis, Weber, Winkle, Zenk)– NSF: "Natives in the Neighborhood:Â Ecological Impacts of Voluntary Conservation Efforts for Urban Biodiversity and STEM Learning“ (Minor, Wise,
Portland State, Chicago Wilderness, Field Museum, Conserve Lake County, Morton Arboretum, Center for Neighborhood Technology, Openlands)– Proposal to host the 2017 biennial conference of the International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE)
(UIC, Northwestern, IIT, Argonne, CNT, City of Chicago)
• Ph.D. Predoctoral fellowships (2): – N. Ahmad (CME), “Network analysis of resource consumption patterns” – S. Husseini (CME), “Controls on the accumulation and transformation of semi-volatile halogenated persistent bioaccumulative toxic compounds in the
upper great lakes”
IESP Grant Connections 2010-2014
Joint IESP FacultyName Depart/Col Expertise Rank Percent Appointed
Kathryn Nagy EaES/LAS Env. Geochemistry Professor 40 2002
Nurtan
Esmen
EOHS/SPH Risk Assess/ Env.
Decision
Professor
Emeritus
N/A 2003
Jane Lin CME/COE Transportation
Systems/Air Quality
Associate
Professor
43 2003
Moira Zellner UPP/CUPPA Public Policy/
Sustainability of
Natural Resources
Associate
Professor
50 2006
David Wise Biological
Sci/LAS
Ecosystem
Processes
Professor 50 2006
Emily Minor Biological
Sci/LAS
Landscape Ecology Associate
Professor
50 2008
Samuel
Dorevitch
EOHS/SPH Urban Health Associate
Professor
50 2010
Ning Ai UPP/CUPPA Urban
Sustainability
Assistant
Professor
50 2011
Sybil Derrible CME/COE Urban
Infrastructure
Systems
Assistant
Professor
50 2012
Cumulative IESP Allocations by Department (2002-2014)
Art & Arch
Biological Sci
Economics
Earth & ES
Chemical Engr
Civil & Mat Engr
Mech & Ind Engr
EOHS
Epi Bio
Public Adm
Urban Planning
Art & Arch 5,000
Biological Sci 580,404
Economics 30,500
Earth & ES 514,000
Chemical Engr 166,606
Civil & Mat Engr 367,834
Mech & Ind Engr 27,008
EOHS 464,465
Epi Bio 32,722
Public Adm 5,000
Urban Planning 283,975
“Environmental” Faculty by Department
Arch
Art
Biol SciChem ChemE
CME
Comp Sci
Ea & ES
ECE
EconEOHS
Epi Bio
ERC
Finance
Health Adm
HistoryIDS
Math
Medicine MIE
Phil Physics
Public Adm
Urban Planning Urban Trans
Arch 3
Art 1
Biol Sci 13
Chem 2
ChemE 6
CME 8
Comp Sci 3
Ea & ES 14
ECE 4
Econ 2
EOHS 18
Epi Bio 2
ERC 4
Finance 2
Health Adm 2
History 2
IDS 1
Math 1
Medicine 2
MIE 6
Phil 1
Physics 1
Public Adm 2
Urban Planning 9
Urban Trans 5
114
EAB Recommendations and Responses
Overarching recommendation: campus-wide planning and re-visioning of IESPResponse:
• Excellent idea
• Can sharpen the emerging focus on sustainability and sustainable systems, including urban systems, and re-examine the value of IESP
• Must remember that the “environmental” community at UIC is much larger today that 15 years ago
• IBHE calls for review of units every 8 years (which for IESP would be 2015)
EAB specific recommendations1. Expand reach of IESP using mechanisms/partnering from other centers
– IESP has co-sponsored activities with other centers and offices (seminars, earth day) and will continue to do so.
– Our experience has been that the best motivator for topical working groups is the deadline of a RFP
– Over the years IESP has provided “seed” funding for certain activities (proposal prep, retreats and meetings) in response to an identified topic and group.
– We view multi-year commitments to faculty as multi-year investments, just as departments do.
– We do not view single-faculty fellowships as part of IESP’s mission, although we have supported sabbatical leaves of our jointly appointed faculty.
– IESP continually looks for new faculty hiring opportunities
– Ph.D. fellowships will continue and may be expanded (e.g. first-year fellows as recruiting tool)
2. UIC facilities as learning laboratories– IESP has no laboratory facilities.
– External partnerships are an excellent idea, provided they contribute to IESP’s mission.
3. Create a marketing strategy with outside organizations– Another good idea, but a very different “business” model
– New academic programs may be a possibility
– Working with UIC Development Office has not yet yielded results
– Might be time to rehire an outreach coordinator
4. Relocation of IESP to East campus– Ongoing…
5. Indirect cost recovery– Has been problematic
– Original proposal called for a combination of State and ICR funding
– Decisions by upper administration have made original plan untenable
– OVCR has committed $200K/year in 5 year increments, ending FY2017
– Long term plan uncertain
6. Expand mission of IESP/Urban sustainability as a focus– Yes, an increasingly important part of IESP’s identity– Much of IESP faculty research is urban-centric– BURST initiative– NSF CyberSEES/Urban metabolism– Urban Food SRN– PIRE (Urban financing)/parallel to UK iBUILD– Network concept
LCA-based Networks: Foundation for an Integrative Scientific Methodology
Why Networks?
• Networks are intentional constructs, linked together in a web of common purposes
• Stress the idea of a community of science as the common element and principle of connection among concepts and ideas
• Facilitates interdisciplinary knowledge exchanges
• Science-based, hence will grow and adapt in self-correcting ways as knowledge is acquired, exchanged, and transformed
• Sustainability is complex with multiple interested parties (technology, economics, public health, government and more); such complexity benefits from the self-integrated structure of a network
Funding
Literature and Patents
Firms
End-of-life
Disposition
Environmental
Impacts
Economic &
Social Impacts
Value Chain
Analysis
R&D,
Product
Development
Acquisition of
Materials
Manufacturing,
Fabrication, and
Assembly
Costs & Market
Supply
Consumer Use
Patterns &
Demand
Forecasting Integration
Anticipation Prospecting
Exploration and
Learning
Databases
Governance
LCA-based Manufacturing Networks: Basic Architecture
Knowledge creation nodes
Feedback loops of varying
complexity and scale
Data and information transfers
General
traversal
of the
network
Funding
Literature and Patents
Firms
End-of-life
Disposition
Environmental
Impacts
Economic &
Social Impacts
Value Chain
Analysis
R&D,
Product
Development
Acquisition of
Materials
Manufacturing,
Fabrication, and
Assembly
Costs & Market
Supply
Consumer Use
Patterns &
Demand
Forecasting Integration
Anticipation Prospecting
Exploration and
Learning
Databases
Governance
Life Cycle Embedded within the Network
Firms,
agencies, and
researchers
establish basis
for new
products
Ideas and
innovations
are turned
into real
products
Consumers
develop their
preferences
and patterns of
consumption
Sustainability
impacts
emerge
Governance
and policy
issues come
into focus;
recommend-
ations for
action.
Knowledge Network for the Urban Food System. Blue boxes represent knowledge
creation/transformation/storage nodes, blue arrows are knowledge transfers. Together these constitute a
series of single and nested feedback loops which define the Urban Food Network. Red connecting lines
show intersection points among other interdependent systems: Economic, Energy, Environmental,
Transportation, Health, and Cultural.
R&DProduction &
ProcessingMarkets
Acquisition &
Distribution
Preparation &
Consumption
Econ. & Social
Health Impacts
Food WastageWaste
Management
Ecosystem
Services &
Impacts
Governance &
Policy
EnvSys
EnvSys
EnerSys
EconSys
HealthSys,
EconSys
CulturalSys
GovSys
TransSys
, EnSys
TransSys,
EnerSys,
EnvSys
Adaptive to Different Types of Systems (e.g. food network)
Funding
Literature and Patents
Firms
End-of-life
Disposition
Environmental
Impacts
Economic &
Social Impacts
Value Chain
Analysis
R&D,
Product
Development
Acquisition of
Materials
Manufacturing,
Fabrication, and
Assembly
Costs & Market
Supply
Consumer Use
Patterns &
Demand
Forecasting Integration
Anticipation Prospecting
Exploration and
Learning
Databases
Governance
Consumer Preferences: A Key Driver