This year’s Climate Frontiers focused on the wide range of career pathways and opportunities in the energy transition. Attendees were able to see all the University’s activities and programs in the Climate Showcase; learn about new research on campus at the Student Poster Session; network and connect with leading companies and organizations at the Career Fair; and join a Career Panel to hear from leaders in the field of renewable energy development, energy finance, or policy.
Agenda
10:30 – 11:00 am: Climate and Sustainable Growth Major Info Session
Conor Carney, Senior Instructional Professor, will be hosting an Information Session in the Peter May Boardroom (room 901) about the new Climate and Sustainable Growth curriculum. This is a great chance to connect, learn about student opportunities, and hear about our new degree programs. Refreshments will be provided.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Plenary Session
From 2025 to 2050: In a dynamic and disruptive market for climate policy and technology, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth is advancing frontier research to address fundamental market, technological, and governance challenges across the globe. Hear from Institute leadership, including Michael Greenstone, David Keith, and Shirley Meng, as they share their own career paths and how they are taking the challenges of 2025 to build solutions for the energy transition and sustainable climate.
Moderator: Kristina Costa, Managing Director, Policy & Strategic Engagement, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Career Fair, Climate Showcase, and Student Poster Sessions
Career Sessions:
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Careers in Clean Energy: What Does it Mean to Work in the Energy Transition?
Join us, in partnership with WRISE Chicago, to explore the wide range of career pathways in clean energy. From finance to engineering, policy to power marketing, and more, panelists from leading renewables organizations will share advice and perspective on how every skillset has a role in building the new energy economy, and how to find the right fit in the diverse industry.
- Christine Ryan, Manager, Origination, Invenergy
- Emily Heim, Senior Analyst, Financial & Group Reporting, RWE Clean Energy
- Jessica Nunn, Project Development Associate, Zelestra
- Moderator: Kimika Padilla, Chief of Staff, Avantus
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Careers in Finance: Capital Markets, Project Finance, and Community Investments
Join us for a panel discussion on career pathways in climate and energy finance. Hear from expert practitioners on the pathways, skills, and experience needed to build an effective career in financing energy projects and deploying capital. This panel will discuss the myriad ways finance can advance climate solutions and share advice and perspective on how to navigate the finance industry.
- Ayo Folaranmi, Vice President, Marathon Capital
- Shail Patel, Vice President – Project Finance, First Citizens Bank
- Claire Brinley, Program Manager, Illinois Finance Authority/Climate Bank
- Moderator: Krupal Sharma, MBA Candidate, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Careers in Policy: Advocacy, Analysis, and Implementation
Join us for a climate policy career panel to hear from expert practitioners on the pathways, skills, and experience needed to create a meaningful policy career. This panel will discuss the full policy lifecycle, from the formation of evidence-based solutions, to coalition building and advocacy, to implementation of existing policy. Panelists will share advice and perspective on how to navigate policy volatility and break into these careers.
- Carrie Zalewski, Vice President, Transmission and Electricity Markets, American Clean Power Association
- Chris Wheat, Managing Director, Policy & Government Affairs, Sustainable Cities Fund
- MeLena Hessel, Deputy Program Director, Midwest, Vote Solar
- Moderator: Kaushik Deb, Executive Director, Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago – India
2:50 pm – 3:00 pm: Closing Remarks