Fish Populations | "The Elkhart-South Bend Aquatic Biology Program is a cooperative effort between the Cities of Elkhart and South Bend that monitors the biological communities of the St. Joseph River and Tributaries in Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties.  The program was established in 1998 and over the course of the past quarter century we have completed close to 2,000 fish community surveys, hundreds of macroinvertebrate community surveys, and research on crayfish, turtles, aquatic plants and freshwater mussels.  Our robust dataset along with slippery friends has been used to tell the story of the St. Joseph River and its ecological significance."

Conservation Works: Animal Success Stories | "Within the last fifty years or so, there has been a remarkable change for the better within our community. Simultaneously, many of the animals that were absent have returned, while many of those that were scarce are now once again found in relative abundance. So, how did this wonderful transition occur? We’ll answer that question by taking a look at some bird, mammal, and fish species that have made a successful return."

Gardening for Good | "Power Point supported pictorial review of why protecting non-native lawns actually harms birds and pollinating insects. It's also counterproductive: Americans spend approximately $59 billion on lawns, much of that on poisons, while spending some $250 billion supporting birds that in turn are suffering die-off from indiscriminate use of pesticides."

South Bend Buildings & Lead | "Lead is ubiquitous in many urban and industrial settings. The adverse effects of lead exposure on children’s brain development is well-documented, yet, lead contamination in historical buildings and homes continues to exist. Our research team quantified these risk factors in historic South Bend buildings by measuring lead levels in dust and paint samples."

Smoking/Vaping  | "Nicotine addiction is my primary interest, specifically youth prevention of smoking and vaping. I also advocate for smokefree air policies that protect all workers' health." 

Sense SB: Air Quality | is a civic innovation initiative that aims to address the gap in meaningful data on air quality and extreme heat in city limits. McGillis supports the City of South Bend's Department of Innovation and Technology and Office of Sustainability with a network of environmental sensors that provide real time, citywide data on ambient air temperature and air pollutants: https://www.southbendin.gov/air-quality