Project Leaders
Dr. Bethany Cutts
Bethany Cutts is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research areas include human dimensions of natural resources and ecology, environmental justice and policy, water resource management, and sustainability. Dr. Cutts holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology from Colgate University, and a Ph.D. in Biology and Society from Arizona State University.
Dr. Andrew Greenlee
Andrew Greenlee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research and teaching lie at the intersection of housing policy, neighborhood change, and community development policy, with a focus on differential policy impacts to various communities. Dr. Greenlee holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Sociology from Grinnell College, a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from University of Iowa, and a Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Policy from University of Illinois at Chicago.
Research Team
Carolina Chantrill is a Master of Urban Planning student and Fulbright Scholar, originally from Argentina. As an environmental engineer, she is interested in both the technical aspects of remediation as well as the human dimensions. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, travelling, and providing snacks to the rest of the research team.
Kaitlyn Hornik is a MS student in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. She plans to study community engagement and empowerment opportunities associated with the Milwaukee River Estuary Area of Concern.
El Lower is a MS student in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. Before beginning the program, El was a research specialist for the Urban Environmental Equity Project, coordinating and conducting video interviews in Milwaukee and the Grand Calumet region. Fascinated by the intersection of science and storytelling in the context of natural resources, El is particularly interested in how researchers can more effectively communicate with — and learn from — stakeholders, especially with regard to complex, controversial management decisions.
Rachael is a master’s student in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. She began working on the Urban Environmental Equity project as an undergraduate and is the resident expert in formatting videos. She has a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. She will be assisting with the interview process by travelling to Milwaukee and Grand Calumet to conduct and record interviews and by transcribing and coding those interviews in the lab at UIUC. Rachael is passionate about working to promote environmental justice and conservation. When she isn’t working, Rachael enjoys playing guitar, singing, and painting.
Zili Xiang, BA in Landscape Architecture, Cornell Univerisity (2015-present)
Sarah Helwink, BA in Sociology (2015-present)
Jordan Williams, BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (2014-present)
Megan O’Loughlin, BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (2014-present)
Research Team – past participants (years of involvement)
Kelly Lutsch, BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (2013-2015)
Kristina Sinclair, BS in Political Science (2013-2014)
Nancy Smebak, MA in Urban Planning (2014)
Jamie Zouras, BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (2014-2015)
Carly Norris, BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (2014-2015)
Nuochen Lyu, BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering (2015)
Kevin Zhu, BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering (2015)
Danqi Fang, BA in Urban and Regional Planning (2014-2015)
Betsy Breyer, PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (2015)
Peter Whitney, BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (2015)
Alexis Wilson, high school intern from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School (2014)
Natalie Prochaska, MA in Urban and Regional Planning (2014)
Annie Contractor, MA in Urban and Regional Planning (2014)
Juliana Wilhoit, MA in Urban and Regional Planning (2014)
