Northwestern continues to be a proving ground for bold climate solutions, from carbon capture and next-generation materials to public health, environmental resilience, and community-centered research. This year, Crain's Notable Leaders in Sustainability list recognized 56 changemakers whose work advances a cleaner, more equitable future across academia, industry, and government.
The Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy is proud to celebrate three Northwestern researchers whose leadership, innovation, and impact were honored in this year's cohort: Omar Farha, Daniel Horton, and Ted Sargent.
Together, their work underscores the Trienens Institute's mission to accelerate transformative research and deliver tangible climate and energy solutions for communities in Chicago and beyond.
Scope of Work: Omar Farha, Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Trienens Institute R&D Pillar Capture Co-Chair, leads one of the nation’s most productive chemistry departments, overseeing nearly 90 faculty members whose work spans advanced materials, catalysis, and sustainability. As founder and chief scientific officer of Numat Technologies, he brings scientific discovery into commercial impact through materials engineered for carbon dioxide capture and chemical threat mitigation.
Key Impact: Farha’s leadership helped secure two major U.S. Department of Energy awards for Northwestern. He directs a $3.3 million project advancing new carbon capture systems and serves as co-PI for the $4 million Midwest Nuclear Direct Air Capture Hub, positioning the region at the forefront of negative-emissions innovation.
Additional Contributions: He is executive editor of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces and a fellow of both the European Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Scope of Work: Daniel Horton, Assistant Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Studies and co-chair of the ADAPT Initiative, leads Northwestern’s Climate Change Research Group and the Defusing Disasters Working Group at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs. His interdisciplinary approach integrates climate modeling, data analytics, and community partnership to address environmental health, climate risk, and public policy.
Key Impact: In 2025, Horton and his team partnered with the City of Chicago to create the city’s first heat vulnerability index, a major milestone of the Chicago Climate Action Plan. The tool is now guiding planning decisions related to community safety, resilience, and public health.
Additional Contributions: Horton serves on the editorial board of Environmental Research Letters and advises the Chicago Department of Public Health on climate-related health strategies
Scope of Work: Ted Sargent, Director of the Trienens Institute and Professor Chemistry directs the Trienens Institute’s research agenda across carbon capture, clean energy generation, and sustainable materials. He oversees a portfolio of more than 50 researchers and $65 million in external funding while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across Northwestern’s science and engineering ecosystem.
Key Impact: He launched Northwestern’s first Iindustry Affiliates Program, building a new framework for strategic partnerships between research teams and corporate innovators. The program accelerates commercialization pathways and strengthens the regional climate-tech community.
Additional Contributions: Sargent is an inventor on more than 100 patents, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and founder of InVisage Technologies, acquired by Apple in 2017.
The Trienens Institute applauds Professors Farha, Horton, and Sargent for their vision, impact, and continued commitment to advancing climate and energy solutions. Their accomplishments reflect the growing momentum of sustainability research at Northwestern, and the power of interdisciplinary work to create a healthier, more resilient world.