Even as we age, we must consider how the ways we live will impact our next generations.
In 2023, it’s no secret the challenges humankind faces as we come to grips with the realities of a changing environment. It is time to look for solutions all around us so that we can ensure we leave a sustainable planet for our children.
“The coming decades will see dramatic changes in the environment, demographics, and technology,” said Gerald C. Blazey, NIU vice president for Research and Innovation Partnerships. “The Northern Illinois Center for Community Sustainability, or NICCS, will help prepare Northern Illinois for those changes.”
State appropriations have been released for construction of NICCS, a hub of the Illinois Innovation Network. The $23 million project will receive $15 million from the state. Another $8 million in funding will be provided by NIU through in-kind contributions.
The building will be a world-class research facility focusing on water resources, environmental change and food systems, while also promoting science-based policies and practices for communities.
“Students are showing interest in sustainability and sustainability curriculum for their academic studies,” Blazey said. “NICCS will help prepare our students and region for the tremendous changes we will see in the next decades. For instance, I am hopeful NICCS will help society build the carbon-neutral economy necessary for a sustainable future.”

The new 30,000-square-foot center will be built on the university’s west campus, and the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) will oversee the projects’ design and construction in accordance with the protocol for state-appropriated projects. The existing funding is made possible by the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois Capital program, with state investments matched dollar for dollar through university, private, and philanthropic funding sources.
“Rebuild Illinois isn’t just about modernizing our roads and bridges—it’s about building a future for generations to come that is economically prosperous with the promise of opportunity at every turn,” Governor J.B. Pritzker said. “Young Illinoisans will have the opportunity to shape our future by coming up with cutting-edge solutions to our 21st century problems—all while furthering our state’s status as a national hub for all things research and innovation.”
“This is wonderful news for NIU, our region and our state,” NIU President Dr. Lisa Freeman said. “NICCS builds on a foundation of faculty excellence in environmental science and sustainability. The center will strengthen research designed to promote sustainable solutions to a multitude of challenges facing our region and state, and also spur economic development and create opportunities for public-private partnerships. Most importantly, NICCS will prepare our students to be leaders in environmental stewardship by providing them with relevant hands-on learning experiences and opportunities.”
The CDB has already hired a consultant to prepare the conceptual plans and design objectives for NICCS. NIU has outlined needs for classrooms, offices, laboratories, an atrium, an auditorium and collaborative and conference spaces, as well as two envisaged wings for research and external tenants.
“Our goal is to make NICCS a world-class destination for experts, university faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, government and business leaders, and citizens working to enhance sustainability in their communities,” said Blazey, who also serves as chair of the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) Council, which coordinates collaboration between IIN members.
“Under a best-case scenario, construction would begin as soon as late next year, with a center grand opening a few years later,” Blazey added.
Work at NICCS will focus on improving water resources, predicting and managing environmental change, and creating food-system innovation.

In her recent State of the University address, President Freeman said she expects the university to lead sustainability efforts by example, too. Toward that end, she noted that Dr. Courtney Gallaher has been appointed as the inaugural campus sustainability coordinator. Gallaher will chair a Sustainability and Climate Action Planning Task Force that will spearhead efforts to make campus more sustainable and help to create the first campus-wide sustainability and climate action plan.
NIU has a strong network of faculty members who have been working on sustainability issues for many years and have ongoing projects that feed into the mission of the new center. More than a decade ago, the university established its Institute for the Study of Environment, Sustainability and Energy (ESE) to foster research, education and community engagement about the environment and sustainability. ESE offers two undergraduate degrees in environmental studies, as well as a minor and two certificate programs.
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