“Civic Resilience by Design: Community Voice, Network Infrastructure, and Health & Wellness Policy in Chicago” – A Civic Engagement Lunch Talk Follow-Up
Introduction
On February 11th, 2026, Kate Albrecht, PhD, Assistant professor of UIC’s Public Policy, Management and Analytics, presented at IPCE's first Civic Engagement Lunch Talk of the Spring semester held on campus in Daley Hall. Her presentation was titled "Civic Resilience by Design: Community Voice, Network Infrastructure, and Health & Wellness Policy in Chicago”.
During their talk, Dr. Albrecht presented her findings from her Chicago and Cook County Health Networks Project that examines health and wellness collaboration resilience. The research shows that resilience includes adaptive capacity and sustained mission performance under stress, and that it is produced through both structural conditions (patterns of connectivity and bridging) and functional conditions (governance, resources, and decision systems). Results show four resilience pillars, including capacity/capacity-building, adaptive governance, iterative strategic planning, and resource sufficiency/sustainability.
Dr. Albrecht highlighted how civic engagement is enacted in resilient networks through community-based participatory evaluations, community voice, and participatory governance as resilience-generating institutional features.
Follow the link below to watch the entire lunch talk. We thank Dr. Albrecht for her wonderful research that helps further our understanding of effective strategies and tools for civic engagement. IPCE would like to extend our gratitude to our attendees for helping make the first Civic Lunch Talk of the spring semester so wonderful.
