Friday, May 8, 2026
STEM students need not only technical skills but also training in energy justice, energy policy, communication, and community engagement in order to become effective future climate leaders. The goal of this workshop is to give faculty and students engaged in energy and sustainability work across disciplines the opportunity to interact, learn from each other, and build resources to reshape graduate training.
Thanks to support from the University Research Foundation at the University of Pennsylvania, the workshop is free to all attendees.
The 2026 workshop has passed, but you can request to be notified of future initiatives like this here.
University of Pennsylvania Vice Provost of Climate Science, Policy, and Action Mark Alan Hughes Faculty Director of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy Presidential Distinguished Professor of Energy Policy & City Planning Faculty Page
Sanya Carley is the Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also the Mark Alan Hughes Faculty Director of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and Presidential Distinguished Professor of Energy Policy and City Planning at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design. She co-directs the Energy Justice Lab, and her research focuses on energy justice and just transitions, energy insecurity, electricity and transportation markets, and public perceptions of energy infrastructure and technologies. Dr. Carley is an author of the Fifth National Climate Assessment report and a member of the Innovation Policy Forum and the Roundtable on Macroeconomics and Climate-related Risks and Opportunities, respectively, for the National Academies. She also recently released her book, “Power Lines: The Human Costs of American Energy in Transition,” with co-author David Konisky.
Princeton University Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs Behavioral Science for Policy Lab
Elke Weber is Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment at Princeton University and Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. She leads the Behavioral Science for Policy Lab, where her research uses behavioral decision science and psychological theory to understand and alleviate social problems, including implications for environmental and economic policy, such as investigating the social and psychological barriers to decarbonization. Among many other honors, she is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
University of Washington Boeing-Sutter Professor of Chemical Engineering Founding Director of the UW Clean Energy Institute Faculty Page
Daniel T. Schwartz is Boeing-Sutter Professor of Chemical Engineering and Director of the Clean Energy Institute at the University of Washington. Dan’s research develops new ways to diagnose battery performance, degradation, and failure. He is a civic-minded engineer and renowned interdisciplinary mentor of graduate students, having received the University of Washington’s Marsha Landolt award for Graduate Mentoring, and a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math, and Engineering Mentoring from the White House for his leadership of community-engaged clean energy research with northwest tribes. In 2021, the CleanTech Alliance recognized Dan’s contributions to the northwest innovation ecosystem with their Director’s Award.
University of Pennsylvania Vice Provost for Graduate Education Professor of Oral Medicine Faculty Page
Kelly Jordan-Sciutto is a Professor in the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on the cellular and molecular responses to inflammation in the brain, and in her 25 years at Penn, she has consistently sought out ways to create innovative educational opportunities for graduate students, with a particular focus on interdisciplinarity. She has held many leadership roles between the Faculty Senate, Perelman School of Medicine, and School of Dental Medicine, and is now the Vice Provost of Graduate Education at Penn.
University of Pennsylvania Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at Wharton Co-Director of the Wharton Climate Center Faculty Page
Arthur van Benthem is a Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at the Wharton School and Co-Director of the Wharton Climate Center at the University of Pennsylvania. His recent work studies the unintended consequences of environmental legislation and the economic efficiency of energy policies. His current research focuses on markets for transportation, renewable energy, carbon markets, and policies to protect biodiversity. He received the 2025 Royal Economic Society Prize, and is an 11-time winner of the Wharton Teaching Excellence Award.
University of Pennsylvania Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Director of Penn Institute for Computational Science (PICS) Research Page
Aleks Vojvodic is a Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Penn and is also Director of the Penn Institute for Computational Science (PICS). Her research focuses on theoretical and computational-driven materials design, in particular on studies of surfaces and interfaces of complex materials for chemical transformations and energy conversion and storage. Her work combines first-principles computational methods with machine learning and artificial intelligence to efficiently explore complex chemical spaces and accelerate the discovery of energy-relevant materials and interfaces.
University of Pennsylvania Professor of Computer and Information Science Faculty Page
Benjamin Pierce is the Henry Salvatori Professor of Computer and Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania and a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery, ACM. His research interests include programming languages, type systems, language-based security, computer-assisted formal verification, differential privacy, and synchronization technologies. He is also deeply involved in climate and sustainability efforts at Penn and beyond, including co-leading efforts to develop carbon offsetting policies for air travel both at Penn and within the Association for Computing Machinery.
University of Pennsylvania Lecturer, School of Veterinary Medicine Co-founder and Director of FAIR Farms Gambia FAIR Farms Page
Brianna Parsons is a veterinarian by training and is a lecturer in Sustainable Agriculture at Penn Vet. She is also the Executive Director and Co-Founder of FAIR Farms Gambia, a community-led teaching and research farm using agriculture to improve community health and wellbeing, reduce poverty, promote food sovereignty, and foster environmental stewardship. FAIR Farms helps the local community in the Gambia access affordable, nutritious foods, while sharing best-practices for creating agricultural enterprises of their own. She has also facilitated immersive educational experiences for Penn students to apply their theoretical knowledge to achieve real world impact through projects on the farm.
University of Pennsylvania Executive Director of the Water Center at Penn Professor of Practice, Department of Earth and Environmental Science Water Center Page
Howard Neukrug is the Executive Director of the Water Center at Penn, and a Professor of Practice in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science. He is the former Commissioner and CEO of Philadelphia Water, where he was responsible for all aspects of its drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater system serving 2.3 million people. He is also a Principal with CASE Environmental where he provides consulting services to cities and utilities in urban planning, systems design, sustainability, and strategic planning in the global water industry. He is also a Penn Engineering alum, with a bachelor’s Civil and Urban Engineering.
University of Pennsylvania Executive Director of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy Kleinman Center Page
Cory Colijn is the Executive Director of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, where she envisions, plans, and manages all center programming, including research initiatives, a graduate certificate program, and fellowship programs and events that convene students, faculty, and industry leaders. Before joining the Kleinman Center, she was the administrative director of Penn’s Professional Programs in Earth and Environmental Science, and is also a Penn alumna, with a master’s degree in applied geoscience and a bachelor’s degree in earth and environmental science.
University of Pennsylvania Senior Lecturer, Computer and Information Science Faculty Page
Harry Smith is a Lecturer in the Computer and Information Science Department at Penn, where he teaches courses from CIS 1100 (Introduction to Computer Programming) to CIS 5210 (Artificial Intelligence) and CIS 3990 (Software Development with AI Coding Agents). He has been a leader not only in teaching about AI but also in thinking about how to responsibly and ethically teach students with AI, so that they benefit from its utility while ensuring that they develop a strong understanding of fundamentals.
University of Pennsylvania Associate Director of Faculty Programming and Pedagogy, Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Innovation CETLI Page
Jen Round is the Associate Director of Faculty Programming and Pedagogy at Penn’s Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CETLI), and also teaches in the biology department. At CETLI, she consults with faculty to provide them with resources and support that enable them to develop teaching practices that are innovative and welcoming to students of different experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. Prior to coming to Penn, Jennifer was an Associate Professor at Ursinus College, where she taught biology and neuroscience while supporting undergraduate research. Jennifer is the recipient of a Charles E. Kaufman New Investigator Award from The Pittsburgh Foundation in recognition of her ability to integrate teaching and research.
University of Pennsylvania Executive Director of Climate Science, Policy, and Action Penn Climate Page
Steve Decina is the inaugural Executive Director of Climate Science, Policy, and Action at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a science teacher for over a decade before earning a Ph.D. in biology with a specialization in biogeosciences and then pursuing research in urban air pollution at UC Berkeley. Before coming to Penn, he was an International Environmental Policy Specialist for the U.S. Department of State. Through Penn Climate, he is working to bring together the University’s experts to drive high-impact, ambitious initiatives to tackle the climate crisis from local to global scales.
University of Pennsylvania Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Graduate School of Education Faculty Page
Zachary Herrmann serves as the Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives in Penn’s Graduate School of Education. He has a B.S. in Mathematics from Illinois, an M.A. in Secondary Teaching from Stanford, an Ed.M. in Educational Administration and Leadership from Illinois, and an Education Leadership Doctorate from Harvard. He taught high school mathematics for several years, and at Penn, he leads the Penn Leadership Education Institute, the Project-Based Learning for Global Climate Justice initiative, and designs partnerships and professional learning efforts focused on teacher and leader development, innovation, and creative problem solving.
University of Pennsylvania Practice Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Director of Master’s Program in Energy and Sustainability Engineering Faculty Page
Lorena Grundy is a Practice Assistant Professor in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department at Penn and founded and directs the master’s program in Energy and Sustainability Engineering. She also serves as the faculty advisor for two undergraduate minors (Energy and Sustainability, and Sustainability and Environmental Management). She is particularly interested in experiential education, serving as the faculty advisor for Engineers Without Borders and the Sustainable Engineering for Environmental Design club, and has launched a new Experiential Education Initiative to integrate hands-on projects into engineering courses, along with a pedagogy program in STEM Teaching Practice for PhD students.
University of Pennsylvania Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Page
Russ Composto is Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Penn and began his tenure as Penn’s inaugural Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education last year. He is a global innovator in polymer science research, and has long prioritized education and mentorship. He was Penn Engineering’s Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education from 2015-2023, where he led the development of a new engineering curriculum and a new program of individualized student advising, and was co-director of Penn First Plus. Among many other awards, he has received the Ford Motor Company Award for Faculty Advising and the Penn Provost’s Award for Distinguished PhD Teaching and Mentoring.
University of Colorado Boulder Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Page
Mike Toney is a Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where his research focuses on understanding the physics and chemistry that characterize materials for sustainable energy. Among many other recognitions, he became an American Physical Society Fellow in 2019. Since arriving at CU Boulder in 2020, he has been interested in energy and social justice and how educators can integrate these concepts into engineering graduate education. He recently taught a class on engineering and energy justice, and in 2025, he received the student-nominated Marinus Smith award, which recognizes faculty and staff members who have had a particularly positive impact on students.
University of Pennsylvania Director of Education, Interdisciplinary Training in Data Driven Soft Materials Research and Science Policy Coordinator of Master’s Program in Energy and Sustainability Engineering
Dasha Peppard serves as the Director of Education for Interdisciplinary Training in Data Driven Soft Materials Research and Science Policy at Penn, where she oversees the professional development and science policy training of STEM PhD students, with a focus on energy policy. She is also the Coordinator of Penn’s new master’s program in Energy and Sustainability Engineering. Previously, Dasha led the Center for Student Professional Development in Temple’s College of Science and Technology.
