Building a green talent pipeline: A Q&A with Abby Butler
In summer 2024, Abby Butler became a McKinney Climate Fellow with Solar United Neighbors, where she educated community members about solar energy and tabled events across Indiana. After completing her degree, Butler joined Solar United Neighbors full time as an Indiana rural organizing associate, where she works on large-scale solar education, outreach, and organizing.
Hub Highlight: Planning grant supports pedestrian and driver safety in Newburgh, Ind.
A collaboration between the Indiana Resilience Funding Hub and Town of Newburgh led to a successful planning grant to address transportation and accessibility challenges. The grant will fund a safety action plan covering several high-priority areas.
Photos: McKinney Climate Fellows contribute 13,000 hours to resilience across state
This summer, 35 McKinney Climate Fellows — Indiana University undergraduate and graduate students interested in sustainability career experiences — dispersed across the state to help Hoosier non-profits, for-profit companies, and governments advance climate and resilience goals.
Hub Highlight: SS4A, AARP grants fund pedestrian safety projects in Montgomery, Ind.
A collaboration between the Indiana Resilience Funding Hub and Town of Montgomery led to successful grants to fund pedestrian safety projects. The grants will fund a town-wide safety action plan and a sidewalk connecting residents to downtown.
‘Born educator’ empowers rural students through climate science lessons
This summer, Ellenor Llona’s dedication to teaching led her to Indiana University Bloomington to attend the Educating for Environmental Change (EfEC) Summer Science Institute (SSI), a week-long workshop for K-12 teachers focused on climate change education.
Report reveals IU Dining's economic impact on Indiana farms and food businesses
A new report from FARMWISE Indiana and Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute quantifies IU Dining's direct economic impact on Indiana farmers and food producers for the first time.
From the classroom to climate action: How O’Neill student Ellie Albin is making an impact
When O'Neill graduate student Ellie Albin learned she had been selected as a 2026 McKinney Climate Fellow, it felt like the next step in a journey she had been building toward for years.This summer, Albin is partnering with the Brown County Soil & Water Conservation District to produce videos that help local residents better understand the funding, resources, and conservation programs available to them.
Hoosier communities explore potential of landfill solar through ERI collaboration
For years, officials with the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District in south central Indiana have wondered about the possibility of converting local brownfields into sites for generating solar energy, particularly the 57-acre closed landfill just north of Bloomington.Through an ERI collaboration, the district found the answers it needed to make an informed decision.
ERI partnering with 9 Indiana communities to support urban forests
In 2026, nine local governments are developing tailored tools to plan for and manage their urban forests as participants in the IU Environmental Resilience Institute’s Resilience Cohort.In addition to guiding a new group of communities through the process of identifying high-priority tree planting areas, ERI is launching a new cohort track to support long-term community resilience through the development of urban forest master plans.
Indiana students generate bright ideas to solve climate change at summit
At Indiana University Bloomington’s second annual Geoengineering Summit, around 160 middle and high school students gathered to present innovative solutions to climate-related challenges.
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Jonathan Hines
Communications Manager
johines@iu.edu
812-856-3610
