New Dimensions in Visual Communication

GCI Special Event

“New Dimensions in Visual Communication”

Tim B. Castillo
Director
Art, Research, Technology, & Science Digital Media Laboratory
University of New Mexico

Thursday, November 14, 2013
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Great Cities Institute
412 South Peoria Street
Suite 400, CUPPA Hall
Chicago, IL 60607

Tim B. Castillo is a tenured Associate Professor at the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of New Mexico. He has been part of the School of Architecture and Planning faculty since 2002 and in 2009 became a member of the Interdisciplinary Film and Digital Media faculty. In 2010, he was appointed as the director of the Art, Research, Technology and Science Laboratory, an interdisciplinary digital media laboratory at the University.

Professor Castillo is the founder of Hybrid Environments, a critical design office that focuses on new technologies for architecture, research and design. His work has been published and exhibited nationally and internationally in various locations including the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (Spain), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland), Pavillon de l’Arsenal (France), Bienal of São Paulo (Brazil), University of Waterloo (Canada), University of Utah, University of Colorado, and the University of Texas-Arlington.

To request disability accommodations, please contact Christiana Kinder, Great Cities Institute, (312) 996-8700, christia@uic.edu

Categories:

Supporting an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

GCI Innovate Chicago Lecture Series

“Supporting an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem”

Kristin Barrett
Vice President
Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center / 1871

Wednesday, November 13, 2013
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Great Cities Institute
412 South Peoria Street
Suite 400, CUPPA Hall
Chicago, IL 60607

Chicago is building an entrepreneurial ecosystem for tech entrepreneurs. One piece of this ecosystem is 1871, a 50,000 square foot coworking center with 240 digital startups. This talk will focus on why 1871 was built, and what type of an impact a digital hub can make on a city. 1871 was started by the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC) to promote and grow the startup community in Chicago.

As a vice president at the CEC, Kristin Barrett helps to manage programming and operations at 1871. Each month, she helps run about 200 mentoring sessions, a dozen workshops and hosts three large speaking events.

Prior to the CEC, Kristin ran operations for Excelerate Labs, a top-ranked technology startup accelerator, helping build educational programming and mentorship as well as ensuring the program ran smoothly. Kristin also worked with startups and early-stage investments through Hyde Park Angels.

Kristin started in entrepreneurship while working on new ventures and corporate strategy for Redbox. She has also worked in management consulting with A.T. Kearney, touching a variety of industries including pharmacy, logistics, and agricultural goods.

To request disability accommodations, please contact Christiana Kinder, Great Cities Institute, (312) 996-8700, christia@uic.edu

Categories:

Planning the Reconstruction of the Circle Interchange: An Overview

GCI Real Time Chicago Lecture Series

“Planning the Reconstruction of the Circle Interchange: An Overview”

John Baczek
Project & Environmental Studies Section Chief
Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)

Tuesday, November 12
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Great Cities Institute
412 South Peoria Street
Suite 400, CUPPA Hall

The Circle Interchange was designed over 60 years ago and is now one of the most congested interchanges in the nation. In this talk we will hear about the challenges of redesigning this highly-urban, confined interchange that is vital to the freight trucking industry and the nexus of all automobile traffic through Chicago.

John has been employed with the Illinois Department of Transportation since 1992 after receiving his Bachelors of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Bradley University. He has worked in construction, design and planning (Bureau of Programming) and is currently the Project and Environmental Studies Section Chief. He oversees the Department’s planning staff performing preliminary engineering and environmental studies (Phase I) in the six county Chicago metropolitan area. In addition, he helped manage the development of a Phase I study for the $475 million reconstruction of the Circle Interchange.

To request disability accommodations, please contact Christiana Kinder, Great Cities Institute, (312) 996-8700, christia@uic.edu

Categories:

Environmental Justice & Transportation Issues Workshop

GCI Real Time Chicago Lecture Series

Environmental Justice & Transportation Issues Workshop

With GCI staff, LVEJO, and other guest speakers.

Friday, November 8
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Great Cities Institute
412 South Peoria Street
Suite 400, CUPPA Hall
Chicago, IL 60607

Join GCI staff and guest speakers for a workshop on environmental justice issues in transportation planning. This 2-hour workshop is open to UIC graduate and undergrad, planning and policy, and public administration students, community members, and any other interested parties.

LVEJO Presenters:
Claudia Ayala, Campaigns Coordinator
Flora Ramirez, Public Transit/ Youth Organizer

About LVEJO:
The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization is a collective of community members based in Little Village, Chicago, striving for a clean and just environment. We seek to empower our local and global communities through environmental organizing and youth programming for cleaner air, open space, public transportation, and a sustainable future.

About 31st Street Bus Route Campaign:
For over 15 years the neighborhood of Little Village and many others along 31st street in the City of Chicago have been without a standard east-west bus route (Cicero to the Lakefront), leaving a three and a quarter mile gap between east-west bus routes. People in the affected communities are left in a spatial mismatch phenomenon. In 2007 LVEJO organizers, volunteers, and community residents, began organizing to reinstate #31st St. Bus Route. The presentation will focus on LVEJO’s model for the public transit campaign which will include a discussion about our approach to community engagement and research.

To request disability accommodations, please contact Christiana Kinder, Great Cities Institute, (312) 996-8700, christia@uic.edu

Categories:

Advanced Manufacturing, Innovative Partnerships, Advanced Communities: The Chicago Experience

GCI Innovate Chicago Lecture Series

“Advanced Manufacturing, Innovative Partnerships, Advanced Communities: The Chicago Experience”

Panel Discussion with:
Erica Swinney
Program Director
Manufacturing Renaissance

Bill Vogel
Industry Coordinator
Manufacturing Renaissance
serving Austin Polytecnical Academy

Wednesday, October 30, 2013
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Great Cities Institute
412 South Peoria Street
Suite 400, CUPPA Hall
Chicago, IL 60607

For over 30 years Manufacturing Renaissance (MR) has been in the economic development trenches of Chicago working with and doing research on behalf of local community and labor groups to understand what drove the loss of thousands of manufacturing companies and the jobs they sustained. More importantly to understanding the problem, MR has been on the leading edge on developing solutions to how to make Chicago a leader in today’s global, knowledge-based economy. Come hear the story of how the results of this work has lead to founding the internationally-recognizedcareer program at Austin Polytechnical Academy (APA) on Chicago’s Westside and a suite of other projects related to fostering community-driven economic development.

Erica Swinney has worked for Manufacturing Renaissance as Program Director serving Austin Polytechnical Academy, a Chicago Public High School since 2008. Erica is responsible for developing and managing Austin Polytech’s internationally-recognized manufacturing career program which includes over a dozen career-preparation activities. She also works closely with the students on a variety of leadership programs related to careers, entrepreneurship, and community development. Erica’s key initiatives include: a student-run manufacturing business MECH Creations, Sustainability Leadership Club, SkillsUSA chapter, and Patent Law Savvy workshop.

Bill Vogel has been in Manufacturing for over 50 years. Mid-career Bill parlayed his business knowledge into purchasing his own manufacturing company, DeCardy. He started volunteering at Austin Polytech, a school he had played a role in founding and which was dedicated to preparing students for leadership roles in the manufacturing companies of the future. He was asked to join the Manufacturing Renaissance staff and became Austin Polytech’s Industrial Coordinator because of his expereince in the manufacturing industry and knowledge of skills needed for students to obtain jobs.

To request disability accomodations, please contact Christiana Kinder, Great Cities Institute, (312) 996-8700, christia@uic.edu

Categories:

Never Laugh at Live Dragons… (Public Transportation in Suburban Chicago)

GCI Real Time Chicago Lecture Series

“Never Laugh at Live Dragons… (Public Transportation in Suburban Chicago)”

Mike Bolton
Deputy Executive Director for Strategic Services
Pace Suburban Bus Service

Tuesday, October 29, 2013
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
412 South Peoria Street
Suite 400, CUPPA Hall
Chicago, IL 60607

Many times overlooked in transportation planning, there has been a growing demand for public transit in suburban areas, particularly as many low-income families move out to the suburbs in search of more affordable living and new jobs. Mike Bolton, Deputy Executive Director for Strategic Services of Pace Suburban Bus Service, will share an overview of long-range planning at the suburban public transportation agency, including an analysis of the needs in the suburbs for public transit and some of the challenges of transportation planning in the suburbs.

Mike is coordinating Pace’s efforts in the implementation of the Ventra program, collaborating with CTA staff and Cubic Transit Systems in deploying the contactless fare payment system. Mike also led the development of the Pace strategic plan and is responsible for the planning group that is conducting the initiatives that will result in a family of services designed to meet the needs of the markets in the 3500 square mile region that is home to more than 270 municipalities spread across the six counties outside the City of Chicago. Pace is also responsible for providing the ADA complimentary paratransit service throughout the six counties including the City of Chicago.

To request disability accomodations, please contact Christiana Kinder, Great Cities Institute, (312) 996-8700, christia@uic.edu

Categories:

Troy Duster Lecture, Reception and Tea

Photos from the October 10 event with Troy Duster. A big thank you to all of our partners who made this event possible, The UIC Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, UIC Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement, UIC Department of Sociology, and the UIC Social Justice Initiative. Click here for video from the event.

Troy Duster Lecture, Reception and Tea

  • 2
    1
    4
  • 3
    5
    6
  • 7
    8
    9
  • 10
    11
    12
  • 14
    13
    15
  • 16
    17
    18
  • 21
    22
    23
  • 25
    24
    19
  • 20

 

 

 

The Illinois Workforce & Workforce Policy for the Next Decade

GCI Innovate Chicago Lecture Series

“The Illinois Workforce & Workforce Policy for the Next Decade”

Howard Wial
Executive Director
Center for Urban Economic Development (CUED)

Wednesday, October 16, 2013
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Great Cities Institute
412 South Peoria Street
Suite 400, 4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60607

It has become a truism that Americans will require increasing amounts of formal education to become prepared for the jobs of the future. Is this truism true? Howard Wial will examine the changes in the workforce, jobs, and education and training needs that are likely to occur in Illinois over the course of the next decade and will discuss the implications of these changes for workforce policy.

Howard Wial is executive director of the Center for Urban Economic Development (CUED) and associate professor of urban planning and policy at UIC. He is also a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. His research focuses on manufacturing and urban and regional economic development. He was previously a resident fellow at Brookings Institution, research director of two other think tanks, an economist at several U.S. government agencies, and a faculty member at several colleges and universities. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his J.D. from Yale Law School.

To request disability accomodations, please contact Christiana Kinder, Great Cities Institute, (312) 996-8700, christia@uic.edu

Categories: