McKinney Climate Fellows embark on climate and sustainability experiences
This summer, 40 McKinney Climate Fellows—Indiana University undergraduate and graduate students interested in climate, sustainability, and resilience career experiences—are embedding themselves within organizations across Indiana to advance planet-positive goals.
Building a green talent pipeline: A Q&A with Miranda Frausto
Born in Mexico City and raised in Toronto and Carmel, Ind., Miranda Frausto grew up in a Latino family that cared about the environment. This special connection led Frausto to become a youth climate leader in high school and to get involved with sustainability organizations as a student at IUPUI. In 2019 and 2020, Frausto seized the opportunity to put her advocacy work into action, becoming a McKinney Climate Fellow and working with the City of Carmel to develop the city’s first greenhouse gas inventory and climate action plan.
ERI receives $100K from Honda to advance climate action in Indiana
Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI) received a $100,000 contribution from Honda to accelerate Indiana’s transition to sustainable and climate-friendly practices. The contribution will partially fund the McKinney Midwest Climate Project (MMCP), an initiative that partners with communities, businesses, and nonprofits in the state on high-impact climate solutions and connects students interested in sustainability and resilience careers to professional work experiences.
IU to help Hoosier communities assess and address their climate risks
Through a partnership with Indiana University, eight Indiana local governments are embarking on a year-long process to understand how their communities are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as flooding and extreme heat, and to make plans to reduce risk. The program, led by IU’s Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI), is one of the first community-focused climate resilience planning efforts in the state and will help local governments anticipate, prepare for, and respond to extreme weather events and other risks linked to climate change.
Building a green talent pipeline: A Q&A with Angelica Lopez
Growing up near the steel mills of Northwest Indiana, Angelica Lopez witnessed firsthand the toll that heavy industry can have on public health and the environment. With the vision for a more equitable and sustainable future in mind, Lopez helped create a regional greenhouse gas inventory—an early step toward developing a climate action plan—for the three-county area as a McKinney Climate Fellow in 2020.
During the 2022-23 academic year, three Indiana University students have been advancing the sustainability goals of Hoosier communities as part of a program led by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). Gabbie Orlando, Katherine Couch, and Brenna Callan, McKinney Climate Fellows from three different IU campuses, have been helping the local governments in Richmond, Zionsville, and Fishers through IDEM’s new-look Clean Community Program, which expanded its focus to include sustainability in 2019.
In advance of Earth Day, Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute is recognizing 13 Hoosier Resilience Heroes for their contributions to Indiana communities and the environment. Hoosier Resilience Heroes are individuals committed to ensuring a safe, healthy environment for their families, their neighbors and future generations. This year’s honorees include professionals, students and volunteers who are working to make Indiana a healthier, more sustainable and more resilient place to live.
Initiative will help smaller Hoosier communities pursue federal climate and resilience funding
As new federal legislation begins to make billions of dollars available for community climate and resilience projects, Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute and Center for Rural Engagement are launching a joint program to help Hoosier communities identify and compete for federal grants.
Building a green talent pipeline: A Q&A with Chaise Cope
In 2018, Chaise Cope graduated from the IUPUI O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs with an MPA in environmental policy and sustainability. A native of Bremen, Ind., she immediately found an opportunity to apply her training as a McKinney Climate Fellow with the City of Columbus, working in the municipality’s community development office. The experience helped kickstart her career in local government and sustainability.
Photos: Hoosiers gather to advance climate resilience
On Feb. 17, more than 350 Hoosiers attended the Indiana Sustainability and Resilience Conference (ISRC) at the IUPUI Campus Center. The conference, hosted by Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute and IUPUI Sustainability, brought together students, academics, industry leaders, local governments, community groups, and others for a day of knowledge-sharing and networking to advance climate resilience in the Hoosier State.
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Jonathan Hines
Communications Manager
johines@iu.edu
812-856-3610
