Cynthia Klein-Banai, PhD '10
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
Pronouns: She/her
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About
Dr. Cynthia Klein-Banai is a dynamic change agent and collaborative leader. She founded the UIC Office of Sustainability 15 years ago as Associate Chancellor and then Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Sustainability. Her team provided institutional value in supporting sustainability planning, projects, and reporting, while enhancing UIC’s mission of student success, improving public health, and serving the communities of Chicago. She oversaw the drafting and publication of two climate action plans, and a sustainability strategic thinking process that resulted in the implementation of strategies to achieve the UIC Climate Commitments of Carbon Neutral, Zero Waste, Net Zero Water, and Biodiverse University. She has helped advanced sustainable infrastructure at UIC through energy efficiency, renewable energy, grounds, water and stormwater management, waste and recycling, and transportation initiatives. She developed the UIC Sustainability Internship Program that has provided over 230 students hands-on learning in solving sustainability problems. Dr. Klein-Banai has a Ph.D. in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS) from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She holds an adjunct assistant professor appointment within the School of Public Health. She is a Certified Educational Facilities Professional. She received her MS in Environmental Science from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and BA in Biology from Washington University in St. Louis. She served for six years on the Board of Directors of the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
As a recent retiree, she volunteers with the Oak Park Climate Action Network that provides technical expertise and advocacy for Climate Ready Oak Park, the One Earth Film Festival, and her congregation’s social action/environment committee.
Selected Publications
Vargas, J.Y. and Klein-Banai, C. Case Study: Guide to Estimating Multi-Modal Commuting Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Sustainability: The Journal of Record, 13:3, June 2020.
Ai, Ning, Kjerland, M., Klein-Banai, C., and Theis, T.L. Sustainability Assessment of Universities as Small-Scale Urban Systems: A comparative analysis using Fisher Information and Data Envelopment Analysis, Journal of Cleaner Production, 212: 1357-1367, 2019.
Khan, S., Chung, M., Galanos, D., Yoshida, K. and Klein-Banai, C. Restroom Water Reduction Potential at an Urban University, Sustainability: The Journal of Record, 9:6, pp. 295-304, 2016.
Klein-Banai, C. “Energy Networks: How do we power a city?” in Remaking the Urban Social Contract: Health, Energy, and the Environment, ed. Michael A. Pagano, University of Illinois Press, Chicago, pp. 166-173, 2016.
Klein-Banai, C. and T.L. Theis, T.L., Factors Affecting Greenhouse Gas Emissions at Institutions of Higher Education, Journal of Cleaner Production, 48:29-38, 2013.
Klein-Banai, C. Contributed multiple chapters in Sustainability: A Comprehensive Foundation Theis, T. and Tomkin, J., Eds. http://cnx.org/content/col11325/latest/ , 2011.
Klein-Banai, C. and T.L. Theis, T.L.: An Urban University’s Ecological Footprint and the Effect of Climate Change, Ecological Indicators, 11:857-860, 2011.
Klein-Banai, C, Theis, T.L., Brecheisen, T.A. and Banai, A.: A Greenhouse Gas Inventory as a Measure of Sustainability for an Urban Public Research University. Environmental Practice. 12:1; 35-47, March 2010.
Klein-Banai, C.: Waste Minimization, in Handbook of Chemical Health and Safety, Ed. R.J. Alaimo, Oxford University Press, 2001.Klein-Banai, C.: Investigating waste minimization opportunities, in Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization in Laboratories, eds.
Adin, A. And Klein-Banay, C.: Pretreatment of Seawater by Flocculation and Settling for Particulates Removal. Desalination. 58; 227-241: 1986.