This research project proposes a computational model validated by experimental testing to improve various characteristics of sustainable cement and concrete by reusing waste materials from the Great Lakes as additives in sustainable building materials. The model will be paired with AI algorithms to efficiently determine the feasibility of recycling bottom sediment from the Great Lakes as a sustainable construction material and analyze the impact of the additive on concrete performance. The goal of the proposed research is to reduce environmental pollution and improve the current ecological system by recycling the bottom sediments in the Great Lakes region, thus improving the efficiency of concrete use in actual construction and the ecological sustainability of the Great Lakes region.

The main project objective is to empower underserved students by directly involving them in innovative Great Lakes-based antibiotic discovery and providing exposure to careers in the environmental and biomedical sciences. Our team is uniquely suited to integrate community-based education into advanced, technology-driven problem solving in a remote or hybrid environment. Importantly, our program will allow students in afterschool programs like the Boys and Girls Club to go beyond workbook science and into real world problem solving. 

Aim 1. Supervised sample collection from the Chicago River and Lake Michigan lakefront.
Aim 2. High-throughput robotics to build a library of bacteria from their samples.
Aim 3. High-throughput robotics to test bacterial libraries against the human pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.

Short-term outcomes

1. Determine the capacity of bacteria derived from the Great Lakes to produce novel antibiotic leads via environmental collection, bacterial library generation, and screening against pathogens.
2. Assemble and educate up to 20 middle school students over the course of the project period (broken down into two student cohorts, ~7-10 students per year).
3. Engage the student cohorts in multiple steps of Great Lakes-based antibiotic discovery.
4. Expose the student cohorts to weekly exercises that focus on environmental problems facing the Great Lakes.
5. Expose the student cohorts to possible careers in STEM-based Great Lakes research via weekly guest career talks.

Long-term outcomes

1. Discover and develop locally sourced antibiotics via spectroscopic identification and in depth biological profiling experiments.
2. Expand our university-community partnership to other Chicago area BGC’s. 
3. Acquire NSF funding to expand to up to five additional clubs and engage large numbers of youth in a pipeline toward STEM careers based on topics important to Great Lakes health.
4. Disseminate the blueprint of our university-community partnership via detailed open-access publications, conference presentations, and other media promotions to the greater academic world and inspire the creation and improvement of similar programs nationwide.

In this one-year research project, I propose a data-driven fragility curve to investigate the damage level of the levee system considering the structural conditions, flooding level and environmental conditions in the Southern Lake Michigan region and provide recommendations on the maintenance strategy suitable for the flooding area. The goal of the proposed research is to mitigate potential losses, improve the current levee system maintenance and therefore enhance the flood resilience of the levee system and coastal communities in the Great Lake region. The goal of the proposed research is to investigate the levee system safety in the Great Lake region.

This project proposes to measure the economic benefit of water quality improvements by applying difference-in-difference analysis to local market outcomes in the Waukegan Harbor Area of Concern (AOC). The implementation of remediation projects in this AOC provides a unique opportunity to observe and compare affected ecosystems and economic outcomes before and after remediation. The analysis will use data on local housing market conditions and socioeconomic outcomes and the timing and location of sediment removal and habitat restoration projects in the Waukegan Harbor AOC. 

• Determine the effectiveness of the current electric barriers and proposed carbon dioxide barriers in the Chicago Area Waterway System at deterring the passage of invertebrate species from a wide range of taxonomic groups
• Determine whether different voltages and frequencies of electricity affect the effectiveness of the electric barriers in the Chicago Area Waterway System at deterring species passage
• Determine whether different concentrations of carbon dioxide affect the effectiveness of proposed carbon dioxide barriers in the Chicago Area Waterway System at deterring species passage.

Cities can be shaped to mitigate potential risks and improve the safety of citizens. However, modifying the urban setting to expand autonomous vehicle safety could negatively impact the community’s water systems health. This graduate student scholars research project aims to leverage a shift in transportation technologies, in a period of climate crisis, for the benefit and safety of people and natural systems – including water systems. This researcher will compile ideas on a multidisciplinary effort, representing different aspects of the city and diverse effects on the influence of technology in urban water systems to present a comprehensive document that questions the possible outcomes in the physical, political, and social aspects.