Ning Ai

Ning Ai is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), holding a joint appointment in the Department of Urban Planning and Policy and the Institute for Environmental Science and Policy. Her expertise lies in urban sustainability, material/waste management, and urban metabolism. She joined UIC in 2011 with a Ph.D. from Georgia Tech, an MIT Master's, and dual bachelor's degrees from Tsinghua University and Renmin University of China.

Her research integrates life cycle perspectives and data-driven approaches to environmental planning, emphasizing sustainable transportation and waste management. Notable projects include studies on food recovery programs, electric vehicle battery recycling, and neighborhood-level traffic impact analysis in Chicago. She has served on the ACSP Committee on Diversity and led the Air & Waste Management Association’s Sustainability Division (2020-2022).

Teaching spans courses like Environmental Planning and Policy, Urban Economics, and System Methods for Environmental Policy. Her work bridges academia and practice, collaborating with entities like the World Bank and Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources. She leads a team advancing eco-friendly product adoption through projects like PFAS-free food service initiatives.

Publications focus on sustainable urban systems, waste management frameworks, and policy design. Her research addresses both broad sustainability challenges and localized solutions, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement.