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Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy

The mission of the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy is to advance global sustainability and energy solutions through transformational research, interdisciplinary education, and public engagement.

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Electric vehicle charger

Finding Solutions for an EV Transition

April 18, 2024
from Master of Engineering Management
In the NUvention: Energy class, a team of MEM students provided assistance on a project at one of the nation’s most important physics labs

About the Trienens Institute

Collaboration across disciplines and organizations for a sustainable future.

We ask questions that lead to new insights and discoveries.

Discover a diverse range of groundbreaking research initiatives centered in the Trienens Institute, stemming from cutting-edge team science across disciplines. Engage with leading scholars and explore innovative projects that address complex societal issues and push the boundaries of knowledge. 

Research Profiles
What's in Your Water? The Health Impacts of Plastic Pollution

Meet Our Faculty
Meet our diverse faculty who approach complex local and global sustainability and energy challenges with interdisciplinary insights.

Research Spotlight
The Tobin Marks Group partners with GIANTFab Lab for various projects enhancing solar cell production.

Empowering minds for a sustainable future.

Students prepare to be future leaders through coursework and experiential opportunities in sustainability and energy at Northwestern University. The Trienens Institute collaborates across academic departments and with industry to administer an Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability and Energy plus a Master’s of Science in Energy and Sustainability. Additional programs include study abroad and research initiatives. Students engage with renowned faculty from across the University and industry to learn how to make a meaningful impact on society's most pressing challenges.

Student Profile
Northwestern senior discusses the Trienens Institute certificate experience.

Study Abroad Spotlight
Trek to Germany opens eyes of engineering students.

Collaboration is vital to the mission of the Trienens Institute.

Innovative teams bring their unique strengths together to produce transformational research and education initiatives. Alumni play a key role in carrying this mission into the world and giving back to support the next generation. Explore how we foster meaningful partnerships with organizations and individuals to address complex challenges and create lasting positive change in the world.

Annual Symposium
Insights from the 2022 Trienens Institute annual symposium.

Alumni Profile
Meet Yuxi Suo (TGS '18), former graduate student in Earth and Planetary Sciences at Northwestern.

Stay Up to Date

Upcoming Events

May
2
2024

CMQT Monthly Meeting

1:00 PM
The CMQT monthly meetings host speakers, as well as provide tutorials,  research updates and facilitate team collaborati...
May
6
2024

REACT Core Facility "For the General User" Series

12:00 PM Technological Institute, 2145 Sheridan Road
Join members of the Reactor Engineering and Catalyst Testing (REACT) Core Facility for an event series "For the General ...
May
10
2024

Center for Catalysis Ipatieff ACS Prize Winner Seminar - Phillip Christopher

1:00 PM Technological Institute, 2145 Sheridan Road
Center for Catalysis and Surface Science (CCSS) Monthly Meeting Lecture at 1:00pm on Friday, May 10, 2024 *Please note t...

Featured Event

Event flyer

Research Symposium | Integrating Science and Law & Economics to Inform Energy Policy in a Decarbonized Future

June 25, 2024
from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

June 25 and 26 | At this Symposium, scholars, policy practitioners, and members of industry will explore the science and policy of energy technologies and energy system integration in a decarbonizing electric system | Learn more