2023
December
![Katie O'Shea](../../../images/people/the-clean-hydrogen-transition-170.png)
December 21, 2023 – from MS in Energy and Sustainability (MSES)
Katie O’Shea used her MS in Energy and Sustainability education to pivot from working in the oil and gas industry to helping build a multi-billion dollar regional hub for clean hydrogen
![Linda Broadbelt](../../../images/news/broadbelt-seeking-sust-solutions-170x170.webp)
December 14, 2023 – from McCormick Engineering News
Addressing the global plastic crisis is the focus of research for Northwestern's Linda Broadbelt, who works to capture value from and improve recyclability of existing plastics
![Basalt, plant, corn field, ocean](../../../images/news/erw-170x170.webp)
December 5, 2023
Northwestern geologists, plant scientists, student start-up collaborate with Chicago Botanic Garden on two-year demo project explores carbon sequestration power, plant benefits of enhanced rock weathering
November
![Bird with plastic pollution](../../../images/news/marks-plastic-catalyst-170x170.webp)
November 30, 2023 – from Northwestern Now
Tobin J. Marks, Linda Broadbelt, and Yosi Kratish developed a catalyst that breaks down plastics found in fishing nets, carpets, and clothes
![Sailesh Chutani](../../../images/news/sailesh-170x170.webp)
November 28, 2023 – from McCormick Engineering News
Entrepreneur and tech leader will teach courses in the MS in Energy and Sustainability program within the Trienens Institute
![group discussion](../../../images/news/ul-partnership-170x170.webp)
November 28, 2023 – from Northwestern Corporate Engagement
UL enterprises and Northwestern institutes are paving the future of safe innovation, from artificial intelligence to environmental sustainability through new partnership
![](../../../images/news/perovskite-solar-170x170.webp)
November 17, 2023 – from Northwestern Now
Ted Sargent, Trienens Institute co-executive director, and his research group have improved solar cell efficiency using a combination of molecules to address different issues
![Earth arial view](../../../images/news/nov-executive-note-170x170.webp)
November 16, 2023
Trienens Institute Senior Managing Director Demetria Giannisis reflects on Northwestern's presence at the United Nations annual climate change conference (COP28) and her attendance of the Africa Climate Summit
![Northwestern delegation COP28](../../../images/news/cop28-170x1702.webp)
November 16, 2023 – from Buffett Institute for Global Affairs
Faculty, graduate students, and staff observed negotiations, attended events hosted by international climate leaders, and shared perspectives during panel presentations at COP28
![Technological Institute northwestern](../../../images/news/tech-snapshot-170x170.webp)
November 15, 2023 – from McCormick Engineering News
Sixteen Northwestern Engineering faculty members, including multiple Trienens Institute Faculty Affiliates, recognized as influential for highly cited research
![Northwestern campus](../../../images/news/faculty-affiliates-story-170x170.webp)
November 13, 2023
Jennifer Dunn, Marco Gallio, and Robert Weinstock share how their research has been shaped by the interdisciplinary network of Faculty Affiliates
![Kari Neumeyer](../../../images/news/kari-neumeyer-170x170.webp)
November 9, 2023
Northwestern alum Kari Neumeyer tells stories of the ecosystem management practices of Indigenous tribes and governmental agencies in the state of Washington
![Hydrogen](../../../images/news/hydrogen-170x170.webp)
November 6, 2023 – from Northwestern Now
Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen is one of seven new Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs selected to receive $7B accelerate the domestic market for low-cost, clean hydrogen
![Molecules](../../../images/news/ciss-170-x170.webp)
November 6, 2023
New observation of the CISS effect has implications for quantum information, energy, and biology
![Speakers and PIs at CMQT Symposium](../../../images/news/cmqt-speakers-170x170.webp)
November 2, 2023
Quantum science experts shared insights and sparked new opportunities during two-day gathering
October
![solar panels](../../../images/news/perovskite-solar-cell-170x170.webp)
October 25, 2023 – from McCormick Engineering News
Trienens Institute Co-Executive Director Ted Sargent of Northwestern Engineering and members of his lab have developed a solution that combines both efficiency and stability in perovskite solar cells
![Student on campus with grasses](../../../images/news/oct-exec-note-170x170.webp)
October 20, 2023
Vice President for Research Eric J. Perreault reflects on sustainability as a University priority and the Trienens Institute's catalytic role in harnessing Northwestern’s multidisciplinary excellence
![Lab equipment](../../../images/news/seed-funding-announcemnet-170x170.webp)
October 20, 2023
Over $460,000 in seed funding and $720,000 in lab instrumentation equipment funding awarded to Northwestern University faculty for multidisciplinary research in sustainability and energy
![New faculty in sustainability and energy](images/new-se-faculty-2023.webp)
October 16, 2023
Faculty with sustainability and energy interest join Northwestern University this fall
![Northwestern University chemist and engineer Dayne F. Swearer](../../../images/news/dayne-swearer-170x170.webp)
October 16, 2023 – from Northwestern Now
Northwestern University chemist and engineer Dayne F. Swearer has received a 2023 Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation
![UNFCC's COP28 will be held in Dubai, UAE](../../../images/news/cop28-170x1701.webp)
October 13, 2023 – from Buffett Institute for Global Affairs
For a third year, a delegation of faculty, graduate students, and staff will be sent to attend the United Nations Framework Convention's Climate Change 28th Conference of Parties (COP28)
![Chicagoland Climate Investment Alliance](../../../images/news/chicago-alliance-170x170.webp)
October 5, 2023 – from World Business Chicago
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson introduced the Chicagoland Climate Investment Alliance earlier this month. The Trienens Institute is proud to join the initiative, which will bring climate innovation and investment to the region
![Kimberly Marion Suiseeya speaks at TNDA launch event.](../../../images/news/tnda-170x170.webp)
October 4, 2023 – from The Daily Northwestern
The Buffett Institute, Trienens Institute, and Univ. of Toronto marked the launch of a climate innovation hub, the TNDA, with a two-day series of keynote talks on climate and social justice, urban energy transitions, hydrogen energy, and more.
![2023 Global Engineering Trek students in Chile](../../../images/news/get-chile-170x170.webp)
October 2, 2023 – from McCormick Engineering News
Students on the Fall 2023 Global Engineering Trek visited the world's largest source of lithium and copper, met with mining and policy experts, and learned of Chile's role in the green energy transition
September
![Wax Lips Lake in northwest Greenland in 2014](images/yarrow-article170.webp)
September 29, 2023 – from Northwestern Now
By studying fossils from ancient aquatic plants, Northwestern University and University of Wyoming (UW) researchers are gaining a better understanding of how methane produced in Arctic lakes might affect — and be affected by — climate change
![researchers](images/marks170.webp)
September 25, 2023
A $750,000 three-year grant from the Office of Basic Energy Sciences within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will advance understanding in sustainability and energy catalysis
![Fall leaves on campus](../../../images/news/autumn-campus170.webp)
September 18, 2023
Read the 2023 fall welcome from co-executive director Michael R. Wasielewski
![EV plugged in](../../../images/news/ev170.webp)
September 13, 2023 – from Northwestern Now
Improved air quality would prevent premature deaths, particularly for people of color
![Tracktor driving over green grass](../../../images/news/fertilizer170.webp)
September 11, 2023 – from Northwestern Now
Novel process could enable water treatment facilities to leverage sustainable urea production
![Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center Building](../../../images/news/ford170x170.webp)
September 7, 2023 – from Daily Northwestern
McCormick and Weinberg Prof. Ted Sargent will serve as co-executive director of the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy effective Sept. 1
![Ted Sargent](../../../images/news/sargent170.webp)
September 5, 2023 – from Northwestern Now
Cross-field expert to help further Northwestern sustainability research
![Profile of Northwestern's Daniel E. Horton](../../../images/news/horton-nu-mag-170x170.webp)
September 5, 2023 – from Northwestern Magazine
Trienens Institute Faculty Affiliate Daniel E. Horton studies the intersection of climate change and public health, Northwestern Magazine recounts how his recent work is shaping the future of environmental policy
![Trienens Institute Co-Executive Director with students on rooftop with solar panels](../../../images/news/mrw-rooftop-170x170.webp)
September 4, 2023 – from Northwestern Magazine
A transformative $25M grant to Northwestern University will fund critical investment in research, education, and engagement for climate science, the energy transition, and the development of resilient communities, Northwestern Magazine shares
August
![bubbles in a surface foam](../../../images/news/order170x170.webp)
August 30, 2023 – from Digital Journal
By using ‘green catalysts’, Northwestern University researchers have succeeded in breaking down and rebuilding polyurethane in order to make new type of foam
![Extrusion foaming and foam injection molding process of thermoset PU foam recycling](images/dichtel-sm.webp)
August 29, 2023
Researchers discover how to dismantle and rebuild a common form of polyurethane
![Kernza®, a perennial wheat, grows in a field research site in Mettawa, Illinois at the Kurtis Conservation Foundation.](images/rooting-sustainable-thumbnail.png)
August 16, 2023
Scientists emphasize adopting sustainable practices like Kernza® for long-term food security and soil health, discussed at the National Science Foundation-funded New Roots annual meeting
July
![raindrops on a window](images/horton-rain-variability.jpg)
July 25, 2023
New research from Northwestern University tracks the year-over-year regularity of rainfall levels across the US, an issue altering the outlook for agriculture and water resource management as well as impacting the wellbeing of ecosystems and wildlife
![Aerial Photography of Landscape With View Of Sunset](images/wwfresearch170x170.png)
July 11, 2023
Northwestern Law student research for World Wildlife Fund examines water, land, and Indigenous rights in four countries
![Test tubes](images/research-funding-170x170.png)
July 6, 2023
Renamed after a $25 million donation, Northwestern's Trienens Institute offers biannual $85K research seed grants to Faculty Affiliates, driving diverse sustainability and energy research for global solutions
June
![Taylor Nchako, Beatriz Sampaio, Jessica De La Paz, Michelle Chung](images/microgririd-170x170.png)
June 26, 2023
Northwestern Sustainability Fellows partner with Evanston City on microgrid plans, covering economics, technology, and policy, running from winter to summer with changing fellow teams
![Howard and Paula Trienens](images/trienens.jpg)
June 7, 2023 – from Crain's Chicago Business
Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern to be named for Paula M. Trienens
![collage of 2023 grad photos](images/2023-grads-170.png)
June 6, 2023
Learn about those among the next generation of leaders, many of whom have come through programs at the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy
![Howard and Paula Trienens](images/howard-paula-trienens170.png)
June 6, 2023
Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern to be named for Paula M. Trienens
May
![law panel](images/law-panel-170.jpg)
May 15, 2023
Symposium panelists Robert Weinstock, Michael Barsa, and Michael Panfil talk climate pollution and policy
April
![clouds](images/clouds.jpg)
April 10, 2023
Symposium panelists Yarrow Axford, David Rapp, and Erik C. Nisbet talk misinformation, messaging, and messengers
![Beyond Neutrality panelists](images/beyond-neutrality-sm.jpg)
April 3, 2023
Symposium panelists Ted Sargent, Grace Andrews, Wil Burns, and Sam Schiller talk carbon removal and carbon market scalability
March
![shrinking lake in Isreal](images/israel-photo170x170.png)
March 28, 2023 – from Northwestern Now
Efforts in sustainable water management are a key focus of Northwestern study abroad trip and scientific collaborations
![Aerial photo of Evanston campus on lake.](images/campus170x170.png)
March 28, 2023 – from Northwestern Now
Award is ENERGY STAR program’s highest honor
![intersecting highways](images/infrastructure.jpg)
March 27, 2023
Symposium panelists Alessandro Rotta Loria, Stacy Mahler, Tracy Farrell, and Amanda Stathopoulos talk sustainable and resilient infrastructure
![Aerial photo of Chicago loop of highways](images/chicago170x170.png)
March 27, 2023 – from Northwestern Now
New high-resolution simulation shows different pollutants accumulate along highways, over Lake Michigan
![Group of students Sierra Leone](images/coding-sierra-leone170x170.png)
March 23, 2023 – from McCormick Engineering News
A second-year student in computer engineering at Northwestern Engineering, aims to help close the digital divide in Sub-Saharan Africa
![climate modeling symposium](images/climate-modeling-symposium-sm.jpg)
March 20, 2023
Symposium panelists Daniel E. Horton, Abel Kho, and Raed Mansour talk healthcare, climate vulnerability, and citizen science
![fermentation diagram](images/fermentation.png)
March 13, 2023
New Life-Cycle Assessment research evaluates greenhouse gas emission and environmental impact of 15 promising biochemicals
February
![Weber arch](images/weber-arch.jpg)
February 21, 2023
Northwestern Brings Solutions for Food Waste, Environmental Accessibility, Gender Inequity, Supply Chain Sustainability to CGI U
![Norman C. W. Yung](../../../images/news/norm-yung-headshot-170x170.webp)
February 13, 2023
Norman C. W. Yung leads Aqua Cleanup International in innovative river cleanups to combat ocean plastic pollution
![CMQT logo](images/cmqt.png)
February 7, 2023
CMQT, a US DOE-funded Energy Frontier Research Center, named three members as thrust leaders to enhance collaboration among interdisciplinary teams refining quantum-to-quantum transduction for impactful quantum information science
January
![engineers in a windpark](images/global-engineering-trek-germany-windpark.jpg)
January 24, 2023 – from Northwestern International Relations
Undergraduates to explore Germany’s advancements in sustainable technology and renewable energy
![students standing next to windmill](images/trek-to-germany-170x170.png)
January 20, 2023 – from McCormick Engineering News
A cohort saw firsthand how German scientists are fighting climate change
![JOIDES Resolution ship](images/joides-resolution.jpg)
January 19, 2023 – from Northwestern Now
New studies confirm mid-Cretaceous volcanism caused ocean acidification
![Breadfruit tree](images/caribbean-breadfruit-thumbnail.png)
January 5, 2023 – from Northwestern Now
After 230 years, a Northwestern University study traces Caribbean breadfruit back to its introduction by Capt. William Bligh