OKI Welcomes First McKinney Climate Fellow, to Advance Sustainability Initiatives in Dearborn Co.

The program will assess the feasibility for electric vehicle infrastructure along on U.S. Route 50 and I-275 and I-74 corridors.

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CINCINNATI - The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) has recorded a “first” in a long tradition of sponsoring some of the region’s most challenging internships.

The agency is hosting a McKinney Climate Fellow this summer to advance sustainability and climate initiatives that will benefit Dearborn County, Indiana.

OKI’s Regional Planning Department has partnered with Indiana University’s McKinney Climate Fellows program.

Rodoshi Sinha, a graduate student at Indiana University Bloomington, was recently named OKI’s first McKinney Climate Fellow. She is working toward a dual master’s degree in public affairs and environmental science.

The OKI intern will spend the summer supporting sustainability and community resiliency projects for Dearborn County, Indiana. Dearborn is one of eight counties within the OKI region.

Specifically, Sinha will assist Dearborn officials in assessing the feasibility for electric vehicle infrastructure along on U.S. Route 50 and I-275 and I-74 corridors, following criteria established by the Federal Highway Administration. Their assessment will be included in a strategic plan for electric vehicles for Dearborn.

“We’re very excited about this fellowship and welcome Rodoshi to the OKI family,” said Travis Miller, OKI’s Regional Planning manager. “We also look forward to working with the Dearborn County Plan Commission staff to advance EV infrastructure planning and other local resiliency planning efforts in the county.”

The initiative, which was recently expanded by a $1.25 million grant from the McKinney Family Foundation, helps prepare students for a future in green careers while also providing meaningful assistance to organizations looking to advance sustainability goals.

“The opportunity to work with this Fellow and IU’s Environmental Resiliency Institute comes at a great time as we continue our efforts to update the Dearborn County Comprehensive Plan,” said Mark McCormack, Dearborn County Planning & Zoning director. “The research provided by the Fellow will help inform our planning process and provide us access to model planning efforts across Indiana.”

The McKinney Climate Fellows, a workforce development program administered by IU’s Environmental Resilience Institute, places undergraduate and graduate students with Indiana communities, local businesses, and nonprofits to provide solutions-based sustainability and environmental expertise.

OKI is a council of local governments, business organizations and community groups committed to developing collaborative strategies, plans and programs to improve the quality of life and economic development potential of the Tri-State.