By Marisa Demers
Yousuf Mitchell is passionate about staving off the worst effects of climate change. The graduate student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) is deepening his knowledge of molecular engineering and renewable energy to help design meaningful solutions.
Mitchell is hopeful, yet uneasy, about the world’s ability to forge a greener future. His travels have revealed glimpses of promise, from witnessing rural Nicaraguans use hydropower to seeing solar power help electrify one of Jordan’s major airports. Yet, for every group or nation that takes action, more needs to be done, he says.
“Earth is just like one large village,” says Mitchell, who speaks three languages and has also traveled to Spain, Cyprus, and Egypt. “More people need to care about how these global climate crises are affecting others, and scientists and engineers need to come up with real solutions to these challenges.”
After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2022, Mitchell worked as an energy consultant and identified ways organizations could reduce their carbon footprints. However, he was not interested in incremental change. Instead of advising companies, he wanted to tap into his science and engineering knowledge and devise entirely new solutions.
Today, he is a student in the Master of Engineering (MEng) program at UChicago PME. Launched in 2024, the program explores how materials designed at the molecular level can amplify renewable energy and energy storage technologies. The Energy and Sustainability track also teaches Mitchell how to effectively lead and manage people, communicate across teams, and commercialize promising technologies. By combining molecular engineering, business, and management into one academic program, graduates are better positioned to turn breakthroughs into sustainable solutions.
“UChicago researchers are constantly thinking outside the box,” Mitchell said. “That’s the community I’ve been looking for.”
Through a UChicago recommendation, Mitchell is also an engineering intern for a startup in Fulton Market that focuses on carbon capture technology, the process of removing carbon emissions from the atmosphere and burying them deep underground. He plans to secure another greentech internship before he graduates.
Yet, Mitchell’s defining experiences at UChicago PME have not been in the laboratory or the classroom. Instead, the one-on-one conversations with faculty and staff have made the biggest impression on him, he says. Soon after he began the MEng program, Mitchell was rocked with uncertainty. He wondered if MEng would further his goal of being a research scientist or if he would need to pursue a doctorate instead.
“My adviser really heard me and cared about whether I felt satisfied with the path that I was on,” Mitchell says. “There are even more people who took the time to talk to me about their experiences and what it means to be a researcher in the sustainability field.” These talks clarified that Mitchell was on the right path. He will earn his master’s degree in spring 2026 and plans to work as a research scientist for a greentech company. “It’s phenomenal to know you have a team like that supporting you.”
Original post via Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering..