Rep. Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04)
U.S. Representative Jesús G. “Chuy” García proudly represents the Fourth Congressional District of Illinois. Throughout his career, Congressman García has been a progressive voice, both as an organizer and as a legislator, fighting to improve the lives of his working-class neighbors, many of whom are immigrants like him. He is a coalition builder committed to expanding access to quality education, affordable housing, and economic opportunity.
He previously served as Cook County Commissioner, where he spearheaded a ban on discriminatory practices involving landlords limiting lease opportunities people who rely on housing choice vouchers. Congressman García also served in the Illinois Senate from 1993 to 1999, where he passed legislation to protect immigrants against abusive fees from notary publics and legislation to make interpreters available to hospital patients with limited English language abilities. From 1986 to 1993 he was a member of the Chicago City Council, where he passed an ordinance to help immigrants complete green card applications.
Dr. Susan Martinis
Susan Martinis is Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she provides leadership for the campus-wide interdisciplinary research institutes, promotes new research initiatives, and oversees the administrative and business processes that ensure the safe, ethical, and productive conduct of research at Illinois.
Dr. Martinis is the Stephen G. Sligar Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Professor of Biochemistry and studies the mechanisms, evolution, and biomedical applications of protein synthesis and RNA-protein interactions. She is a successful researcher, engaged in entrepreneurial activities and corporate partnerships; a committed educator; and an experienced administrator.
Read more about Vice Chancellor Martinis.
Dr. Jeff Stein
Dr. Jeffrey Stein is the interim executive director of the Prairie Research Institute, the parent organization of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center. PRI applies scientific expertise in geology, ecology and biodiversity, archaeology, water, weather and climate, pollution prevention, hazardous waste management, and sustainable energy to benefit the people, economy, and environment of Illinois.
Dr. Stein’s research focuses on the ecology of freshwater and marine fishes, seeking to understand linkages between ecological function and exploitation of populations by humans and to translate findings into effective conservation actions. He also is an affiliate of the University of Illinois’ Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences and the Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology.
He previously was a Sea Grant Knauss Policy Fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Mississippi River Regional Representative for American Rivers, Inc. He earned a bachelor’s in biology, a master’s in animal science, and a PhD in natural resources and environmental sciences, all from the University of Illinois.