ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â

All ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â students and faculty are invited to participate in SoReMo (Socially Responsible Modeling, Computation, and Design) project pitch for prospective student fellows. It will take place on Tuesday, September 16, 12:45–1:45 p.m. in Rettaliata Engineering Center Room 102.

Gina Iliopoulos, founder and chief operations specialist, Keeler Gardens, NFP, will be presenting opportunities for developing potential SoReMo projects to all interested ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â students. Faculty interested in supervising interdisciplinary, customer-facing projects are invited to attend as well. The opportunity is presented in September 2025, so that students can use that as a motivation to propose joining a project team in Spring 2026.

SoReMo advocates for ethical, equitable approaches in computation, modeling, and design, contributing to the common good of Chicago and beyond through research and education initiatives at ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â. Empowering students to enact the positive societal change they are passionate about within ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â, Chicago, and beyond.

Advance registration required .

Please check  for additional details.

Questions? Contact Sonja Petrović, professor of applied mathematics at sonja.petrovic@illinoistech.edu.

Keeler Gardens Presents at SoReMo

Our soil suffers from nutrient loss and toxic buildup that disrupt our ecological foundation.

Urban design and structural inequity disconnect us from nature and its healing power. If

degraded soil and urban centric development form a dual front in a broader public health

emergency—what is the call to action for farmers, policy makers, educators, scientists, and community members? Keeler Gardens promotes collective, coordinated action that re-centers our connection to nature and to one another.

A thriving, sustainable community is cultivated through living systems that support

people, planet, and place. The solution lies in a confluence of efforts to regenerate our soil, our sense of self, and our natural spaces.

A truly healthy environment must be designed with the diverse needs of its people at the

center, physically, socially, and ecologically. A thriving community is sound in infrastructure, aesthetics, and critical systems that nourish both the land and the lives that depend on it.

We will discuss soil as the foundation of health; empowered, connected, and healthy

people; and designing resilient communities with equity, all with nature connections.

About Keeler Gardens

Keeler Gardens is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Chicago’s North Side, uniquely dedicated to uplifting disinvested and underserved youth, families, and communities through a meaningful connection with nature. We educate, advocate, and actively create environments—both physical and emotional—that inspire growth, healing, and empowerment. Our mission speaks to the fact that all individuals and communities deserve the opportunity to thrive, and that access to nature is a vital pathway toward reaching one’s full potential. Nurturing this connection to nature leads to tangible results such as improved decision-making and problem-solving abilities, lessened fatigue and stress, enhanced healing, reduced childhood diagnoses, and a sense of community. A myriad of studies document the value of incorporating the natural world into

our daily lives.

Keeler Gardens works to advocate for and build sound, inspiring environments, inside and out, to support individuals and communities in reaching their fullest potential. What began as a small nature space on Chicago’s northwest side has become a living model for how even modest nature spaces can profoundly impact local neighborhoods.

 

About the Speaker

Gina Iliopoulos has a colorful and diverse background. With a bachelor’s in science, specializing in genetic engineering, she spent many years in a variety of different laboratories, including quality control and research and development.

After a significant time spent in medical device, biology, chemistry, food, and flavor laboratories. She authored an environmental technology course book and spent several successful years in pharmaceutical sales and management.

Stepping away from the corporate world, she spent time as a project manager, consulting with a nonprofit, designing and building unique modular homes for the needy. Then, being drawn back into science, she consulted on varied scientific texts and laboratory manuals, covering many areas of biotechnology and bioengineering.

Still desiring an interactive role, horticulture was her next focus, dedicating years to intensive study and experience. She continues with consultation in conjunction with championing the 501(c)(3) on the north side of Chicago she established in 2016, Keeler Gardens.

Her work at Keeler Gardens is summed up as improving the health and sustainability of urban

community life through environmental experiences and spaces and building a connection with nature. Even the smallest of nature spaces and biophilic additions can have a great impact on individual and collective lives of the members of any community. Her goal is to offer inspiration to change the way we design, build, and support communities, to include nature connections as a standard, and with that investment watch communities thrive.