Our partnership with the National Great Rivers Research & Education Center (NGRREC), led by Professor William Kling, JD, promotes effective ecological preservation, land-use planning, and public policy related to our region's and state's river systems. The collaboration focuses on educating policymakers and citizens about the numerous challenges facing our river systems and water supply.
The program has four key components:
#1. Policymaker Education. We build coalitions to support stakeholder awareness of, and policy innovation for, river systems. This involves work with municipalities, community colleges, aldermanic offices, NGRREC's Freshwater Institute, and others. Our team also participates in the City of Chicago's River Ecology & Governance Task Force. Email chaddick@depaul.edu to schedule a time to speak with Professor Kling about these outreach efforts.
#2. Symposium and Events. We host several events annually, all publicized on our Events page and open to the public. Highlights of recent Chaddick events can be found here.
#3. River Fellows. These talented individuals work closely with our leadership team on special projects, publications, and outreach initiatives. You can find brief biographies of our Fellows below.
#4. Publications. These reports showcase effective municipal strategies to improve river planning. Among our recent publications are Rivers of Opportunity: 25 Small and Mid-Size Cities in Illinois that Adeptly Leverage their Rivers to Enhance Ecosystems and Community Life. Our most recent publication, Learning from Case Studies in River Governance from Around the United States, by Adam Flickinger, is available here.
Our programs also include regular visits to the Confluence Center of the National Great River Research's Education Center in East Alton. Please get in touch with chaddick@depaul.edu to join our river-focused listserv.
Meet our four River Fellows! Click here for their bios and photos