During the new Winter Intersession term between Fall and Spring semesters, nine students from ENS and other programs enrolled in Dr. Derman’s Topics in Environmental Studies course “Understanding Struggles for Climate Justice.” The course examined the ways in which climate change is increasingly being understood as an issue of intergenerational, racial, and global justice, building on Derman’s longstanding research interests, explored in his new book.

On November 14, 2020, the GIS Lab, joined by Junu Shrestha from the UIS Public Health Department, offered a virtual GIS workshop titled “Mapping COVID-19 Using GIS.” The workshop introduced the use of desktop and online GIS tools in visualizing COVID- 19 to help in the decision-making process. Two example products are included here. This is the first time the GIS Lab offered an online workshop.

This past summer, ENS Chair Dr. Megan Styles and PA faculty member Dr. Junfeng Wang, conducted research on the adoption of plastic bag legislation in Illinois communities. They interviewed city officials and community leaders in the five IL municipalities that have adopted plastic bag laws (e.g. bans or fees designed to deter the use of these bags) to understand why these communities adopted these laws and their experiences with implementation. Drs.

Allison Thornley has been named the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for March 2022. She has worked for UIS Athletics since 2011 and currently serves as the associate athletic director for strategic planning and finance and the senior women's administrator.

The University of Illinois Springfield Center for State Policy and Leadership and the Community Health Roundtable will host a free virtual public webinar titled “After Effects of the Pandemic: The Challenges in Health Care Delays and Long COVID-19” at Noon Friday, April 1 via Zoom.