Spring 2026 Letter from Director Joe Hoereth
IPCE rounds out the Academic Year with the Annual Urban Forum, Research Talks, Events, and Symposium
Friends of IPCE,
The end of the semester is always an opportunity to reflect both on our shared accomplishments and the work ahead. As we take a look ahead to summer projects, we invite you to celebrate this semester with us.
Community members, policymakers, researchers, and public intellectuals convened in-person on April 22nd for the 2026 Urban Forum - Public Service in a Changing America. The 2026 Urban Forum explored the current state of the public sector, its nuances, and an ethical vision for a thriving future in public service. In the past year, we have witnessed a sweeping attack on the U.S. public sector and those who work in it. The dedicated individuals who serve the public play a key role in safeguarding civic life and advancing the common good. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, this year's Urban Forum highlighted how it is more important than ever to reaffirm a commitment to public service, which helps society align its public policies and values.
This spring semester, we had two incredible presenters for our Civic Engagement Lunch Talk Series. To kick things off, Dr. Kate Albrecht, from the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs presented “Civic Resilience by Design: Community Voice, Network Infrastructure, and Health & Wellness Policy in Chicago”. To close out our sessions for the semester, Jenna Prochaska, Associate Professor of Law at the S.J Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah presented “Democratizing Fair Housing” Thank you to all our Research Fund awardees for presenting their findings over the course of the academic year. The insights gained from their research will advance the mission of civic engagement in diverse disciplines.
Undergraduate fellows in the Urban Public Policy Fellowship (UPPF) Program were also hard at work this spring finalizing research projects and presenting research posters at our annual Research Symposium: From Research to Policy, Showcasing Impactful Student Research. Fellows’ projects stemmed from hands-on internship experiences on policy-related topics such as immigration reform, mental health, and community development. 24 students successfully completed the UPPF program this year, and I congratulate them all on behalf of IPCE. The Institute expresses immense gratitude to the community partners who hosted UPPF Fellows and served as internship sites this year.
We had many other event highlights throughout the spring. We hosted two Space to Engage sessions this semester, where attendees joined us in the IPCE office to break bread over topics such as the emergence of Artificial Intelligence, and Staying Motivated During Challenging Political Times. In partnership with Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA) and UIC Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP), the IPCE team cohosted “Working with Journalists: Building Relationships and Preparing for Interviews”, where attendees learned how to respond when a journalist calls, communicate your research in a clear and effective manner, identify what reporters are looking for in interviews, and maintain relationships with journalists. We also hosted our second UPPF Alumni Journey's informational session, where former Urban Public Policy Fellowship fellows shared their experiences, career journeys, and insights into their public service career paths.
IPCE staff had the honor of presenting at various conferences throughout the Spring semester, including Campus Compact, UIC Spark Talks, and the American Educational Research Association Conference, to name a few.
We have continued to work on our ongoing projects with our partners, including the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention (OFVP), and the Independent Monitoring Team for the Chicago Police Consent Decree.
Stay tuned for summer announcements and future fall programming.
Have a rejuvenating summer!
Joseph K. Hoereth, PhD