SMIIL (smile!) is the research group of Dr. Julie Cidell of the Department of Geography & Geographic Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We study the relationships between society, mobility, and infrastructure, with an eye towards mobility justice. This largely involves qualitative methods, with some quantitative and GIS work as well.

We’re interested in how transportation infrastructure interacts with people and places: people who use that infrastructure directly or indirectly, people who are in proximity to that infrastructure whether they use it or not, and the places in which infrastructure is embedded. We’re interested in freight and logistics, airports, rail, pedestrians and cyclists, and even ferries! Current funded research includes the role of arts and culture in mitigating the effects of transportation infrastructure for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).

We’re always looking for folks to join us as M.A. or Ph.D. students, or as undergraduate research assistants. E-mail jcidell@illinois.edu if you’re interested!