Sustainability and Energy Fellow
2026 Cohort
PhD program: Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
Fellowship mentors: Julia Kalow, PhD, Department of Chemistry, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and Cécile Chazot, PhD, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering
Kathryn (Katie) Weber is originally from Matthews, NC. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2021 with a BS in chemistry, with highest distinction. There, she completed an honors thesis with Jeffrey Johnson, A. Ronald Gallant Distinguished Professor, studying rhodium catalysis. Katie then moved to the University of Wisconsin–Madison for her PhD, where she studied organic photochemistry under the mentorship of Professor Tehshik Yoon.
At Northwestern, Katie will apply her organic chemistry knowledge to polymer chemistry and materials engineering. Under the mentorship of Associate Professor Julia Kalow and Assistant Professor Cécile Chazot, she will study the use of dynamic covalent bonds to stabilize the liquid-crystalline order of cellulose, with the goal of producing structurally colored fibers. This work will enable the fabrication of colorful, recyclable textiles without the need for a labor- and water- intensive dying process.