Northwestern is justly renowned for its “all-hands” approach to tackling the world’s great problems. Societally important research questions at the intersection of energy transition and public policy are examples of where Northwestern’s team science excels.”
About the Adapt Initiative
The Adapt Initiative complements Trienens Institute R&D Pillars—all designed to address focused challenges necessary to the energy transition, and to advance the underlying science and engineering. Adapt will develop strategies to deal with extreme events from heatwaves to flooding. The researchers will collaborate across disciplines and with partners to address technological, environmental, public health, and societal solutions. The multidisciplinary initiative builds on existing areas of academic expertise at Northwestern, and prior advancements.
As more people move into cities, the need for physical, policy, and social infrastructure grows. Solutions are particularly essential for marginalized and disinvested communities, who are often the most vulnerable to environmental hazards. The multidisciplinary initiative builds on existing areas of academic expertise at Northwestern, and prior advancements.
The Experts
Dan Horton, Adapt Initiative Co-Chair
Dan Horton
Adapt Initiative Co-Chair
Assistant Professor, of Earth and Planetary Sciences and (by courtesy) Civil and Environmental Engineering
Professor Horton leads the Climate Change Research Group (CCRG) at Northwestern University. The CCRG investigates Earth’s climate system and its interaction with human and natural systems across diverse spatiotemporal scales. Topics explored include (i) extreme weather events, (ii) near-term meteorological, societal, and public health impacts of anthropogenic climate change, and (iii) the evolution of Earth’s climate system through geologic time. To address this diversity of topics and explore the interactions of Earth’s atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere the CCRG uses a wide-range of research tools, including environmental observations, numerical models, statistical analyses, and machine learning.
Rob Weinstock, Adapt Initiative Co-Chair
Rob Weinstock
Adapt Initiative Co-Chair
Clinical Professor of Law
Director, Environmental Advocacy Center
Professor Weinstock joined the Northwestern Pritzker Law faculty in 2022 as the Director of the Environmental Advocacy Center and a Clinical Associate Professor of Law, where he now leads in clinical instruction and the management of the EAC’s diverse and cutting-edge advocacy efforts. His substantive areas of interest – and the EAC’s docket – include environmental justice advocacy on behalf of community organizations in Chicago, complex environmental citizen-suit enforcement litigation, and work in state utilities commission proceedings on energy issues, among many other issues. Before coming to Northwestern, Professor Weinstock was an Associate Clinical Professor with the University of Chicago’s Abrams Environmental Law Clinic and practiced complex litigation at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, in New York, and environmental law at Barnes & Thornburg, in Chicago. He also served as a law clerk to The Honorable Victor Marrero on the Southern District of New York.
Faculty Affiliate, Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy.