Winter 2021 Letter from Director Joseph Hoereth

Our Director Dr. Joseph Hoereth rounds up 2021.

Friends of IPCE,

I hope everyone has had a great end to their fall semesters, especially through all the adjustments of the pandemic. It has been a fluid transition back on campus this fall, but nonetheless, we are making strides. As always, I'm excited to share what we here at the Institute have been working on this past semester, and to look forward to what's next in the new year.

Our office is open during regular business hours for staff only at this time. UIC continues to implement numerous measures to safeguard our community. We want to assure you we continue to serve our mission in the areas of research, public engagement, and democratic education. And so far, we have had a busy semester of working on some great projects.

We welcomed 22 undergraduate students in the Urban Public Policy Fellowship (UPPF) program for the 2021-2022 academic year in August, and they are already hard at work at their internship sites. This cohort represents a large array of policy and research interests, and I am excited to see their progression as leaders as they navigate internships and research projects throughout the academic year.

We are excited to announce the research projects that the Institute will help fund this year as part of our Civic Engagement Research Awards. The five faculty members are: Jennifer Brier, PhD, Gender and Women’s Studies Program and Department of History, Federica Fusi, PhD, Department of Public Administration, Chris Kanich, PhD, Department of Computer Science, Elizabeth A. Kócs, PhD, MBA, UIC Energy Initiative, and Kate Lowe, PhD, Department of Urban Planning and Policy.

IPCE is also now accepting applications for our Discourse Awards, which are funded awards for UIC faculty and research staff who host a public discourse event (in-person, hybrid, or online) about public policy. Learn more about our Discourse Awards.

Please keep us on your radar as we continue to announce upcoming IPCE and IPCE-sponsored events and initiatives, and bookmark our newly refreshed website for updates on all things about the Institute!

Have a wonderful start to your new year,

Joseph K. Hoereth, PhD