Ning Ai
Assistant Professor
Ning Ai joined the Department of Urban Planning and Policy in August of 2011 as an Assistant Professor, with a joint appointment at the Institute for Environmental Science and Policy as a Research Assistant Professor. Ning’s research and teaching interests focus on urban environmental planning and its integration with land use, industrial ecology, and sustainable economic development. Ning has worked for the World Bank, the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co., and the Georgia State Department of Natural Resources. Her previous work experiences include the application of GIS in environmental protection, urban sustainability indicators, and the socioeconomic impact analysis of natural disasters. Most recently, she was engaged in the socioeconomic and spatial analysis of material and waste management, with a focus on electronic waste, post-consumer carpet, and municipal solid waste. Currently, Ning serves as the Secretary of the Waste Management Technical Coordinating Committees (TCWM01/03) of the Air & Waste Management Association (2009-2012). At UIC, Ning plans to continue her research on multi-disciplinary models, tools, and theories that can be applicable in urban sustainability analysis. She is particularly interested in exploring strategies that may reduce the footprint of urban growth and seeking the synergies among economic, environment, and social systems.
Ph.D., City and Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2011; Master in City Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003; B.A., Environmental Economics & Natural Resource Management, Renmin (People’s) University of China, 2001; B.S., Environmental Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2001
Courses
UPP 570 Environmental Planning
Research
Urban environmental planning, industrial ecology, sustainable economic development, system analysis of urban sustainability, waste management
Publications
Ning Ai and Karen R. Polenske. 2008. “Socioeconomic Impact Analysis of Yellow-Dust storms: An Approach and Case Study for Beijing.” Economic Systems Research, 20 (2): 187-203.
Zhan Guo, Ning Ai, and Karen R. Polenske. 2008. “Evaluating Environmental and Economic Benefits of Yellow Dust Storm-Related Policies in North China.” The International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, 15 (5): 457-470.
Nancey Green Leigh, Matthew Realff, Ning Ai, Steven French, Catherine Ross, and Bert Bras. 2007. “Modeling Obsolete Computer Stock under Regional Data Constraints: A Case Study in Atlanta.” Resources, Conservation, and Recycling, 51: 847-869.
Contact
ain@uic.edu
Room 256 (MC 348)
312- 413-9786)