Dr. Arwi S. Kriz, Associate Professor of Public Administration in the School of Public Management and Policy, will conduct a research project to understand UIS' performance as a public university in the Central Illinois region. The project will be comprised of two phases. In phase one, she will perform a need analysis to understand current and future labor market demands and the alignment of UIS' degree offerings with those demands. In phase two, she will conduct a benchmarking analysis to compare UIS' educational production with those of its higher education peers. The findings of the study will help the university leadership team determine how to best employ public resources to contribute to workforce needs.

Dr. Cheng-Chia "Brian" Chen, Associate Professor of Public Health in the College of Health, Science and Technology, will conduct a study to explore factors that influence students' sense of belonging and to identify the existing gaps and challenges in advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ). The importance of satisfying students' need for belonging lies in its potential to improve student retention and graduation rates. However, since a "one-size-fits-all" approach would not be effective, instruments used to measure belonging will need to be customized and evaluated to suit the particular context of interest. He will use a multidimensional research approach that integrates both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, along with relevant conceptual frameworks and evidence-based approaches. The findings might serve as a foundation for subsequent research and action plans along with data-driven strategies to enhance students' sense of belonging and overall well-being.