The UNU-Hub at City College of New York (CCNY) hosted a strategic retreat on Feb 13, 2025, bringing together key stakeholders from academia, research, and policy to deliberate on the future of Remote Sensing and Sustainable Innovations for Resilient Urban Systems (R-SIRUS) initiative. The retreat focused on shaping both short-term (0-2 years) and long-term (2-5 years) strategic plans to strengthen the UNU-Hub’s mission and impact.
Key objectives included finalizing goals and objectives, developing new initiatives in research, education, and policy, and designing the official UNU-Hub R-SIRUS website. The retreat also provided an opportunity to explore collaboration opportunities with national and international organizations and experts.
Agenda Highlights:
- CCNY’s Vision for UNU-Hub R-SIRUS presented by President Vincent Boudreau and Vice President Dee Dee Mozeleski.
- UNU-Hub R-SIRUS Goals outlined by GSOE Dean Alex Couzis.
- UNU and Other UNU Hub Priorities discussed by Dr. Kaveh Madani, Director of UNU-UNWEH.
- CCNY’s Direction for the UNU-Hub R-SIRUS shared by Dr. Reza Khanbilvardi, CREST Director and UNU Hub Co-Director.
The pillars of the retreat focused on:
- Research and Innovation led by Professors Kyle McDonald, Maria Tzortziou, Mitch Goldberg, and graduate students.
- Education, Training, and Capacity Building moderated by Professors Naresh Devineni and Tarendra Lakhankar.
- Policy Research presented by Professors Jean Krasno and Susanna Schaller.
The event concluded with a summary of key discussions and action items for the next phase of the R-SIRUS initiative.
This retreat marked a significant step toward advancing the UNU-Hub’s mission of creating sustainable urban systems through collaboration and innovation. In that effort, a set of recommendations, including an action plan, were created. Stay tuned for updates on the implementation and upcoming initiative!