Director’s Letter

NICCS Construction Advances as Research Impact Grows

Greetings from the Northern Illinois Center for Community Sustainability (NICCS). Since the Illinois Capital Development Board awarded the design and construction contract for the NICCS building to Farr Associates and Berglund Construction in 2026, we’ve been working together to complete designs to create the building that our faculty and staff first envisioned. With construction having started at a site west of the NIU Convocation Center and continuing through the fall of 2027, we expect the NICCS building to be fully operational by January 2028.

Meanwhile, interest in NICCS has never been greater. Over the past year, NIU has continued to advance research related to water resources, food systems, energy and environmental adaptation. Some examples include:

• Testing new techniques to remove PFAS from treated wastewater
• Developing new bioplastics out of crops grown in Illinois
• Creating new pathways for teaching math using food and cooking
• Testing hydroponics for indoor vegetable production
• Examining the effects of warming temperatures on birds and aquatic organisms
• And studying the movement of microplastics through groundwater 

NICCS also continues to support NIU’s Edible Campus and Huskie Harvest, two programs that address food security within our community. It's an exciting time to be at NIU, where we’re shaping a sustainable future for Illinois.

Every year, we’re reminded of why our work is important. Rising fuel prices and constraints on crop production and distribution impact consumers as well as growers. We continue to place heavy demands on our soil, water and air. While conditions might be variable across the region, each year is warmer than the next. As communities look for ways to adapt, NIU researchers and creators play a key role in developing the foundation for adaptation across the region.

As director of NICCS, I will continue to work to expand a presence that benefits NICCS researchers and creators, including graduate and undergraduate students. Events like the Illinois Innovation Conference, Earth Fest, STEM Fest and the DeKalb County Water Futures Summit provide opportunities to highlight NIU research and innovation. These can be keystone moments in the careers of students interested in sustainability.

NICCS will also help to foster emerging partnerships, including those with energy efficiency companies and with the U.S. Geological Survey, which are interested in enhancing their presence on campus and can offer long-term opportunities to students. Our new NICCS building will provide a space for researchers to continue developing solutions to sustainability challenges, as well as to enhance and develop new partnerships to deliver those solutions to people who need them most.

I encourage you to explore our website – especially the current NICCS research – and reach out if you would like more information or to get involved. Together, we can build a community to advance the sustainability needs of the present and the future.

Sincerely,

Matt Deitch, Ph.D.
Director, Northern Illinois Center for Community Sustainability
Associate Professor, Department of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment
Northern Illinois University