NU faculty recognized for environmental sustainability leadership
Crain’s Chicago Business honors Northwestern researchers driving innovation in clean energy, climate resilience, and sustainable solutions
Northwestern faculty members Omar Farha, Daniel Horton, Matthew Roling, and Ted Sargent have been named Crain’s Chicago Business “Notable Leaders in Sustainability,” recognizing their distinguished research contributions and Northwestern University’s deep commitment to sustainability as a core institutional priority
Farha, chair of the Department of Chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, is founder and chief scientific officer of NuMat Technologies, a precision chemistry company that became the first to industrialize metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)—highly porous, crystalline materials that can capture, store, and separate gases. These materials are enabling advances in clean energy, environmental remediation, and defense applications.
Horton, an associate professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, leads work at the intersection of climate modeling, air quality, and public health. Through his Climate Change Research Group and the Buffett Institute’s Defusing Disasters Working Group,Horton studies the human and societal impacts of climate hazards and develops strategies to reduce them. The Defusing Disasters group—an important example of community-engaged research—brings together scientists, policymakers, and local leaders to design equitable, place-based approaches that strengthen climate resilience and public health outcomes.
Roling, a clinical assistant professor at the Kellogg School of Management, directs the Abrams Climate Academy, a three-year pilot program that prepares graduate students across disciplines to tackle real-world climate challenges. Through its fellowship program, students engage in hands-on projects focused on climate education, applied sustainability, and organizational impact.
Sargent, executive director of the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy, is a professor of chemistry and of electrical and computer engineering (Weinberg and McCormick). His research advances materials chemistry and physical chemistry to create CO₂-recycling fuels, high-efficiency solar cells, and next-generation optical sensors. The Trienens Institute is one of about two dozen University-wide research institutes and centers that fuel cross-disciplinary innovation and societal impact.
Crain’s honored 56 professionals across business, government, education, and the nonprofit sector for advancing sustainable practices that “reflect a growing statewide commitment to environmental stewardship, resilient economies, and climate solutions.” — Matt Golosinski