The Socially Responsible Modeling, Computation, and Design (SoReMo) fellows at Illinois Tech engaged in interdisciplinary research projects during the spring 2025 semester to address significant social issues. These semester-long fellowships aim to apply computational, modeling, and design skills towards solving societal challenges. The program emphasizes ethical and equitable approaches, benefiting Chicago and beyond through research and education initiatives at Illinois Tech.
During this period, five fellows participated in four distinct projects that explored various topics such as mental health support using artificial intelligence, flood evacuation strategies, success pathways for women in STEM careers, and optimizing nighttime shuttle services on campus.
Sonja Petrović, an Illinois Tech professor of applied mathematics and SoReMo faculty lead, highlighted two key aspects: "One, we saw more than one project in which the student’s field of study was not the same as the type of project they did. And two, re-scoping of one of the projects was done after we went through a discovery phase of what is possible and what is ethical."
Among the fellows were Mohammed Sahil and Anushka Sarath who worked on "MindBridgeAI: Culturally Intelligent Mental Health Support," an AI tool providing culturally relevant emotional support. Marina Oberemok focused on "Charting STEM Success: Data-Driven Strategies to Empower Female Students in Chicago," aiming to identify barriers for women pursuing engineering careers. Sanaz Kazemzadehazad's project "Optimizing the Allocation of Public Safety Services for Illinois Tech Students" examined ways to improve campus safety services. Raquel Giménez Pascual developed a flood evacuation plan with her project "Flood Evacuation and Resource Allocation Modeling."
Oberemok expressed insights gained from her interviews with women in STEM fields: “It was very interesting to talk to these women to find, through their personal stories, how they accomplished and persisted through these technical fields.”
Giménez Pascual emphasized the adaptability of her algorithm: “This is about floods, but you could use it for snowstorms, fires anywhere people need rescuing from.”
The SoReMo initiative also includes forums where fellows present their work for peer review and receive feedback from community stakeholders and experts. The core faculty supporting this initiative consists of several professors across various disciplines at Illinois Tech.