NU Faculty Earn Distinction for Their Research Excellence and 'environmental Stewardship, Climate Solutions'

Northwestern faculty members Omar Farha, Daniel Horton, Matthew Roling, and Ted Sargent have been named Crain's Chicago Business "Notable Leaders in Sustainability," reflecting their distinguished research efforts and the University's commitment to sustainability as a priority.

Farha is chair of the Chemistry Department in Weinberg College and founder and chief scientific officer of Numat, a precision chemistry leader that is the first company to industrialize metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) across critical industrial sectors. MOFs are highly porous, crystalline materials capable of capturing, storing, and separating gases to advance clean energy, environmental remediation, and defense applications.

Horton, an assistant professor of Earth, environmental, and planetary sciences in the McCormick School, leads work at the intersection of climate modeling, air quality, and public health. He leads the Climate Change Research Group and the Buffett Institute's Defusing Disasters Working Group.

Roling is a clinical assistant professor at the Kellogg School, where he leads the Abrams Climate Academy, a three-year pilot that prepares graduate students from across the University to tackle climate challenges. He oversees a yearlong fellowship focused on climate education and applied sustainability projects.

Sargent is executive director of the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy, one of about two dozen University-wide research institutes and centers designed to fuel cross-disciplinary innovation. He is a professor of chemistry and electrical and computer engineering in Weinberg and McCormick whose researchadvances materials chemistry and physical chemistry to create CO₂-recycling fuels, high-efficiency solar cells, and next-generation optical sensors.

Crain's honored 56 professionals who are advancing sustainable practices across business, government, education and the nonprofit sector to "reflect a growing statewide commitment to environmental stewardship, resilient economies and climate solutions."