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Engaging Our Communities

Harper Court Plans Take Shape

The University and the City of Chicago took the next steps toward the development of a 128,000-square-foot mixed-use complex that will anchor the 53rd Street corridor. In February, the public got its first look at the plans for the development, on the site of the former Harper Court, which will include retail shops, restaurants, a hotel, an office building, parking space, and, in a second phase, condominium and rental housing. “As a result of thoughtful and creative input from Hyde Park residents and business owners, we have an excellent development proposal that will serve both the neighborhood and the many visitors to Hyde Park from throughout the city and beyond,” said Ann Marie Lipinski, vice president for civic engagement at the University. “The commitment to Hyde Park’s vitality by both the City and the University is very strong, and this project is a powerful demonstration of that commitment.”

University Hosts DC Forum on Health, Education

The University hosted “Chicago Contributes,” a Washington, DC, forum focused on health care and education. The event brought together cabinet secretaries and leading researchers, along with an audience of hundreds. It was also a unique chance for UChicago alumni, faculty, students, and trustees to take part in two vital national policy discussions. Many speakers expressed hope that evidence-based reforms of education are gaining wider acceptance, making the most of what research universities can offer. “Because of the very complexity of these problems, universities are particularly well-positioned to bring together the multiple perspectives required to address them,” said President Robert J. Zimmer.

SSA Conference Explores 2010 Census

Population researchers, community leaders, and policymakers gathered at the School of Social Service Administration for the conference “Understanding a Dynamic Decade: Population Trends, Public Policy, and the 2010 Census in Chicago.” Attendees discussed the last decade’s shifts in economic prosperity, poverty, health, and housing, and their implications for the policies of the coming decade. The conference aimed to raise awareness about population shifts affecting both the public and nonprofit sectors, as well as awareness about the 2010 Census.

University Initiates Business Diversity Symposium

In November, the University’s first business diversity symposium, “Building Relationships, Expanding Opportunities,” was organized by the Office of Business Diversity and the Medical Center. The event brought together representatives from 33 minority- and women-owned business enterprises with senior University leadership, in hopes of fostering lasting professional connections. The symposium focused on six key University service areas: advertising/marketing/public relations, human resources, investment management, information technology, legal, and medical/surgical. Among the outcomes was a partnership between the University and Chicago-based Johnson Publishing Company’s Ebony magazine.

New Program Strives for Safer Schools

In an effort to combat violence involving Chicago public school students, the University of Chicago Crime Lab and community partners launched a new program designed to help hundreds of boys avoid conflict and succeed in school and life. Beginning in 15 schools, the initiative, Becoming A Man (BAM)—Sports Edition, provides hundreds of adolescent boys around Chicago with a combination of cognitive behavior therapy and access to sports, with the hope of identifying an effective strategy for addressing the unique challenges facing many of the city’s male youth.