One of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s long-term goals is to help build a community of researchers and outreach professionals focused on critically important Lake Michigan issues. In addition, we strive to help graduate student scholars further the impact of their research, and develop innovative, fundable proposals for future work in the region.

The IISG Scholars program was launched in 2019 for faculty from Illinois and Indiana colleges and universities to develop extension, education, or communication skills related to their research. In 2020, we added a graduate student component to the program to provide professional development training and resources to extend doctoral research. Both faculty and graduate student scholars receive funding for one year.

In 2025, six graduate students received funding and professional development through the IISG Scholars program for a cumulative total of 32. The 2025 scholars are focused on a variety of issues and approaches, including developing AI models of southern Lake Michigan communities to assess coastal resilience, studying the lake’s nutrient pollution, assessing the impact on local economies of short-term rentals along Lake Michigan, and creating a prototype of a new lake wave energy harvester.