On October 29, 2025, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth hosted our second annual Climate Frontiers, a program of special events demonstrating the scale and breadth of the University’s activities on energy and climate change. More than 300 students attended this year’s event, which focused on the wide range of career pathways and opportunities in the energy transition.
Students could explore a variety of programming throughout the David Rubenstein Forum from 10:00am to 3:00pm. Attendees were able to learn about a variety of climate-related activities and programs happening on campus 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 fields of clean energy development, climate and energy finance, or policy.
The event kicked off with interviews and coffee chats with more than a dozen leading employers. The interviews allowed students to connect one-on-one with organizations that are actively hiring for jobs and internships. More than 100 students participated in one of the employer coffee chats. These more informal conversations allowed a small group of students to meet with an employer, ask questions and learn more about their organization.
Students could also network with and learn about a broader group of employers at the Career Fair. Nearly 40 leading climate and energy organizations including businesses, non-profits and government agencies were represented including the Chicago Department of Environment, Invenergy, RWE, and Urban Rivers (view the employers).
Students could continue on to the Climate Showcase, which featured UChicago programs and student organizations. In addition to longstanding programs like the Phoenix Sustainability Initiative and Abrams Environmental Law Clinic, students could learn about newcomers like the UChicago Sustainability Dialogue and Center for Advanced Materials for Environmental Solutions (view all organizations).
Another highlight of the event was the Student Poster Session, which featured 26 projects from young researchers at UChicago. Attendees could learn about the wide spectrum of ongoing research at the University and even hear about the projects from the researchers themselves.
“I loved chatting with all the students about their posters, learning about rock weathering optimization, energy efficient algorithms for cloud providers and their virtual machines, public opinions on ecotourism in Tanzania – it was all fascinating,” wrote attendee Riley Morrison (Harris ’26).
Alongside the interactive components of Climate Frontiers, students could learn from a variety of speakers by attending several panels throughout the event.
The Institute’s faculty leadership got together for a plenary session moderated by Kristina Costa, the Institute’s Managing Director of Policy & Strategic Engagement. Professors Michael Greenstone, David Keith, and Shirley Meng shared the Institute’s research initiatives and perspectives on the state of climate and energy policy and technologies.
Students could get a more in-depth look at the Institute’s educational offerings with an information session hosted by Conor Carney, the Institute’s Senior Instructional Professor. Students were able to connect, learn about student opportunities, and hear about the Institute’s new major, minor and master’s programs.
In the first Career Panel, panelists from Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) Chicago explored the wide range of career pathways in clean energy. Christine Ryan, Manager of Origination at Invenergy; Emily Heim, Senior Analyst of Financial & Group Reporting at RWE Clean Energy; and Jessica Nunn, Project Development Associate at Zelestra, alongside moderator Kimika Padilla, Chief of Staff at Avantus, shared 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.
Another panel focused on career pathways in climate and energy finance. Ayo Folaranmi, Vice President at Marathon Capital; Shail Patel, Vice President of Project Finance at First Citizens Bank; and Claire Brinley, Program Manager at the Illinois Finance Authority/Climate Bank shared advice on building an effective career in financing energy projects and deploying capital with moderator Krupal Sharma, an MBA Candidate at the Booth School of Business.
Policy-minded students could tune in to the climate policy career panel to hear from expert practitioners on the pathways, skills, and experience needed to create a meaningful policy career. Carrie Zalewski, Vice President of Transmission and Electricity Markets at the American Clean Power Association; Chris Wheat, Managing Director of Policy & Government Affairs at the Sustainable Cities Fund; and MeLena Hessel, Midwest Deputy Program Director at Vote Solar, shared advice and perspective on how to navigate policy volatility and break into the field. Kaushik Deb, Executive Director of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago – India, moderated the discussion.
Stay tuned for details for Climate Frontiers 2026!