DPI Climate R&D Hub
News & events
Climate R&D Hub research, people and events, with Climate R&D Hub stories from DPI News and coverage in the media.
Stories & events ↓In the media ↓
Latest · Oct 6, 2026 · DPI News
Ashish Sharma appointed to Illinois Commission on Environmental Justice
The Climate R&D Hub lead joins the state commission, bringing climate science and environmental data into its work on environmental inequities across Illinois.
Jul 27, 2026 · DPI News
DPI Climate Hub research calls for a new approach to urban heat risk
Jun 11, 2026 · DPI News
Illinois experts chart future of urban climate research: solving the ‘trilemma’
All stories and events
35 stories
2026
Oct 6
Community & education
Ashish Sharma appointed to Illinois Commission on Environmental Justice
Oct 6, 2026 · DPI News
Sharma joins the state commission, bringing climate science and environmental data to its work.
Jul 27
Heat & greening
DPI Climate Hub research calls for a new approach to urban heat risk
Jul 27, 2026 · DPI News
A paper in npj Urban Sustainability sets out five shifts in how cities assess and act on extreme heat.
Jun 11
Research, data & AI
Illinois experts chart future of urban climate research: solving the ‘trilemma’
Jun 11, 2026 · DPI News
Peiyuan Li and Ashish Sharma show how physics-based models, AI and hyperlocal measurements can work together.
Apr 8
Research, data & AI
7 Questions with Ashish Sharma
Apr 8, 2026 · DPI News
A Q&A about the Climate R&D Hub’s climate and AI research.
Apr 3
Floods & water
DPI’s GPU-driven model can predict floods faster, more accurately
Apr 3, 2026 · DPI News
A GPU-accelerated, city-scale flood forecast built by the Climate R&D Hub for real-time decisions.
Related: the 2023 MWRD seminar on near real-time flood forecasting
2025
Dec 9
Clean energy & transport
CLEETS Global Center adds new partners in India, Mexico, and Japan
Dec 9, 2025 · DPI News
The clean energy and transportation center widens its international research network.
Oct 14
Forecasting & AerisIQ
Chicago scientists create new tool to better personalize forecasts as weather events get more severe
Oct 14, 2025 · Climate R&D Hub · KARE 11
KARE 11 on AerisIQ, which updates forecasts every hour at 1-kilometer resolution.
Sep 12
Floods & water
A DPI researcher helps understand flooding in Cicero, IL
Sep 12, 2025 · DPI News
Abhinav Wadhwa worked with Cicero residents on a story map of local flood risk.
Aug 1
Forecasting & AerisIQ
We’re proud to launch AerisIQ, a groundbreaking weather intelligence platform
Aug 1, 2025 · Climate R&D Hub · video
A video introducing AerisIQ, the Climate R&D Hub’s early-warning platform for weather and transportation risks.
Aug 1
EventForecasting & AerisIQ
Introducing AerisIQ at ICUC 12, the International Conference on Urban Climate
Aug 1, 2025 · Climate R&D Hub
AerisIQ was presented in a conference session on early warning for weather hazards.
Aug 1
Forecasting & AerisIQ
How can I get a weather forecast more accurate than my phone or TV?
Aug 1, 2025 · Climate R&D Hub
Ashish Sharma explains how precise AerisIQ is, from everyday plans to flood alerts.
Jun 27
EventCommunity & education
DPI at the Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress
Jun 27, 2025 · DPI News
DPI panels and work shown at SRI2025 in Chicago, including early weather alerts.
Apr 30
Community & education
How bold ideas at SRI2025 will inspire lifelong climate changemakers
Apr 30, 2025 · University of Illinois System News
Ashish Sharma on what the SRI2025 congress offers Chicago’s climate community.
Jan 15
Heat & greening
Carbon reduction from urban greening strategies
Jan 15, 2025 · Climate R&D Hub · Argonne
Argonne on a Climate R&D Hub model of how urban greening changes carbon exchange around Chicago.
Related: Eos highlight · the paper
Jan 15
EventCommunity & education
DPI previews K–12 climate education platform at meteorology conference
Jan 15, 2025 · DPI News
Sky Scouts, a K–12 climate education platform, was introduced at the 2025 AMS Annual Meeting.
Related: Sky Scouts
2024
Dec 20
Floods & water
What’s the best way to “green the gray”? Ask DPI researchers.
Dec 20, 2024 · DPI News
A Metropolitan Planning Council grant supports DPI research on green stormwater infrastructure.
Oct 11
Research, data & AI
New urban morphology dataset with tree and building heights for sustainable urban planning
Oct 11, 2024 · Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne on HiTAB, the Climate R&D Hub’s tree and building height data for Chicago, and its use in urban planning.
Related: the paper · the HiTAB map
Sep 16
Clean energy & transport
International partnership fuels transportation equity, EV buy-in
Sep 16, 2024 · University of Illinois System News
The CLEETS Global Center’s first work looks at electric vehicles and keeping them safe from cyberattacks.
Aug 29
EventClean energy & transport
Decarbonization on the agenda at UN Science Summit
Aug 29, 2024 · DPI News
A CLEETS panel on clean, equitable road transportation at the UN Science Summit.
Aug 6
Research, data & AI
A new study provides a more detailed look than ever at Chicago’s landscape
Aug 6, 2024 · Climate R&D Hub · DPI News
HiTAB maps the height of every tree and building in Chicago, a view from above the canopy.
Related: the HiTAB map · the paper
Jul 23
Heat & greening
Advanced hyper-local air temperature prediction in urban environments
Jul 23, 2024 · Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne on the Climate R&D Hub’s method for predicting air temperature street by street in cities.
Related: the paper · our March 2024 post
Jul 8
Heat & greening
Report on Impact Assessment of Climate Change and Afforestation
Jul 8, 2024 · Climate R&D Hub · report
A ComEd-sponsored assessment of how population growth, urbanization and climate change affect the Chicago region.
Jun 17–19
EventClean energy & transport
2024 CLEETS annual workshop
Jun 17–19, 2024 · Climate R&D Hub · University of Birmingham
The CLEETS Global Center’s annual three-day meeting, looking back at its first year and planning the next.
Related: workshop program (PDF)
May 9
EventFloods & water
Discovery Partners Institute Panel: The Future of Water Innovation
May 9, 2024 · Climate R&D Hub · online
A virtual DPI panel on water innovation, from geospatial methods and wastewater surveillance to hydrological and climate models.
May 7
EventCommunity & education
Collaboration to Address Climate Change in Chicago – Chi Hack Night
May 7, 2024 · Climate R&D Hub
Peiyuan Li presented the Climate R&D Hub’s urban climate modeling at Chi Hack Night.
Related: watch the talk
Apr 24
Floods & water
A Warmer, Wetter Future for the Quad Cities
Apr 24, 2024 · Climate R&D Hub · report
The Quad Cities climate assessment by the National Wildlife Federation, Prairie Rivers Network and DPI is out.
Related: the report (PDF, 4.9 MB) · NWF press release
Apr 16
EventCommunity & education
April 22 EarthTalks: Sustainable and climate-resilient urban solutions
Apr 16, 2024 · Climate R&D Hub · Penn State
Ashish Sharma’s Penn State EarthTalks lecture, “Climate Science to Actionable Urban Solutions.”
Mar 12
Heat & greening
Illinois climate researchers develop methodology to predict temperatures at street scale
Mar 12, 2024 · Climate R&D Hub
A data-driven method predicts temperatures street by street across Chicago.
Related: DPI News story · the paper
2023
Oct 27
EventFloods & water
Near to Real-Time Flood Forecasting: Towards Digital Twins at Urban Scales
Oct 27, 2023 · Climate R&D Hub · MWRD seminar
Early results on near real-time urban flood forecasting, presented at the MWRD seminar series.
Related: seminar slides (PDF) · DPI’s GPU-driven flood model (2026)
Oct 20
EventCommunity & education
Public input sessions on the Quad Cities climate vulnerability assessment
Oct 20, 2023 · Climate R&D Hub
Public sessions in Moline, Illinois, and Bettendorf, Iowa, gathering residents’ input for the Quad Cities assessment.
Related: session flyer (PDF) · the final report (PDF)
Oct 16
EventClean energy & transport
Planning, roadmap and more: CLEETS team kickoff meeting
Oct 16, 2023 · Climate R&D Hub
The CLEETS Global Center team’s first meeting, with breakout sessions to plan its first year.
Sep 18
Clean energy & transport
DPI receives $5M National Science Foundation award to establish Global Center for clean energy and equitable transportation solutions
Sep 18, 2023 · DPI News
NSF funding launches the CLEETS Global Center with UK partners.
2022
Nov 28
Community & education
How can academia help implement lessons from the 2022 climate summit?
Nov 28, 2022 · Illinois News Bureau
After COP 27, Ashish Sharma on how universities can work with industry and government on climate goals.
Sep 15
Clean energy & transport
DPI receives $1.5 million grant from National Science Foundation to fund international research partnership on clean transportation
Sep 15, 2022 · DPI News
An NSF grant, led by Ashish Sharma, for an international partnership on the move to clean transportation.
Aug 1
Community & education
Scientists to build toolkit addressing climate change and environmental justice in Chicago communities
Aug 1, 2022 · Prairie Research Institute
NASA funds a University of Illinois team, led by Ashish Sharma, to build an environmental justice toolkit for Chicago.
Related: our toolkits
In the media
As featured inScienceChicago TribuneWTTWChicago Sun-TimesNBC ChicagoLiveNOW from FOXInside Climate NewsCrain’sKARE 11Nature CitiesEos
2026
- KJZZ · Sep 2026This researcher wants to get people heat data specific to their neighborhoods
- Tech Times · Sep 2026September heat wave gives LA no recovery time after August left 3,000 without power
- Chicago Sun-Times · Sep 2026No relief from the heat as September kicks off. Is this normal?
- Science · Aug 2026Global warming is coming for the countryside
- AJP (Aju Press) · Jul 2026Heatwave in South Korea isn’t bad luck, but a loaded die
- LiveNOW from FOX, expert interview · Jun 2026Deadly “Omega” heatwave grips Europe
- WTTW · Apr 2026Fighting floods, from the Deep Tunnel to neighborhood infrastructure
- Chicago Tribune · Apr 2026Chicago 2050: Ashish Sharma on how the city will learn to live with weather
- Office of the Governor · Mar 2026Ashish Sharma continues on the Illinois State Museum Board
2025
- Eos · Nov 2025New tool maps the overlap of heat and health in California
- KARE 11 · Sep 2025Chicago scientists create new tool to better personalize forecasts as weather events get more severe
- Inside Climate News · Aug 2025As climate change makes hail more destructive, Illinois residents pay the price
- Nature Cities, comment by Ashish Sharma · Jun 2025Urban climate science needs to step out
- Chicago Tribune · Jun 2025Smoky air from Canadian wildfires envelops Chicago for third day. What does this mean for summer?
- Chicago Tribune · Jan 2025Illinois affected by a record number of billion-dollar climate disasters in 2024, mostly severe storms
2024
- Center for Media Engagement · Jun 2024Climate change in Illinois is massively affecting low-income communities
- The Gazette · Apr 2024Report: Quad Cities will be ‘warmer and wetter’ in future decades because of climate change
- Quad-City Times · Apr 2024Report: Quad Cities to be ‘warmer and wetter’ in future decades because of climate change
- Daily Herald · Mar 2024Researchers explore how climate change will affect Wrigley, Guaranteed Rate
- Office of the Governor · Jan 2024Ashish Sharma appointed to the Illinois State Museum Board
2023
- Crain’s Chicago Business · Dec 2023The importance of local solutions in addressing global climate challenges
- Eos · Dec 2023Urban greening could help achieve carbon neutrality goals
- University of Birmingham · Sep 2023New Global Centre in Clean Energy to be led by the University of Birmingham
- NBC Chicago · Aug 2023Importance of tree canopy cover highlighted during extreme heat
- Chicago Tribune · May 2023Mapping a threat: Climate change’s deadly summer heat may deepen disparities in Chicago
Journalists and media: email dpiclimate@uillinois.edu.