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Department Events

Events

• May

  8

  ChBE Seminar Series: Michael Charles, Cornell University

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM LR5, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  The Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present a seminar by Michael Charles, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University.

  Michael Charles will present a seminar titled "Sustainable Engineering for Equitable Futures: Empowering Indigenous Sovereignty.”

  ABSTRACT

  Climate change poses threats to all life on our planet but the consequences do not impact all communities equally. With the complexity of the technological, political, and economic systems that humankind has built around ourselves, even our solutions to address climate change redistribute risks disproportionately. In this seminar, we will dive into how sustainable and systems engineering methodologies can assess the trade-offs that must be considered to make “sustainable” decisions. Further, we will explore the role that data analysis and localized information can play in advocating for the empowerment and safety of vulnerable communities, and in particular, Indigenous communities. These themes will be demonstrated through a variety of projects focused on renewable energy transitions, health-centered design, sustainable food systems, and just data and research governance.

  BIO

  Michael Charles (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University, an Affiliate Faculty of the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program, and a Faculty Fellow of the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. He received his B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) from Cornell University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in CBE from The Ohio State University. His expertise involves developing computational sustainability frameworks that integrate dynamic ecological models and data-driven storytelling to advocate for underrepresented communities. As a Diné (Navajo) scholar, he’s committed to fostering mutually respectful partnerships with Indigenous communities. His vision is to combine computational methods with community-centered relationships to translate research into action. At Cornell University, the Charles Research Group focuses on nature-responsive design, frameworks for sustainable systems development, and utilizing data to empower communities to navigate complex sustainability challenges. Along with his research, he works with the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change to advocate for Indigenous rights, leadership, and self-determination within UN Climate Negotiations.

  Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:40am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!

  *Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.

  more less

  TIME Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

  LOCATION LR5, Technological Institute    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Olivia Wise    olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

• Jan

  22

  ChBE Seminar Series - Ludmilla Aristilde, Guest Seminar – January 22nd @9:45am in Tech L361

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM L361, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  Dear ChBE Department and affiliates,

  Please join us Thursday, January 22nd at 9:45am in Tech L361 for a guest seminar by Ludmilla Aristilde.

  Ludmilla Aristilde will present a seminar titled, "Unraveling Mineral and Biological Catalysts in Nature-Based Reactions for Nutrient and Carbon Recycling".

  Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:45am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!

  *Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.

  more less

  TIME Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

  LOCATION L361, Technological Institute    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Jennifer Young    jennifer.young@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

• Jan

  29

  ChBE Seminar Series - Yi Tang, Guest Seminar – Febuary 19th @9:45am in Tech L361

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM L361

  EVENT DETAILS

  Dear ChBE Department and affiliates,

  Please join us Thursday, Febuary 19th at 9:45am in Tech L361 for a guest seminar by Yi Ting.

  Yi Ting will present a seminar titled, "Discovery and Engineering of Biosynthetic Pathways".

  Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:45am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!

  *Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.

  more less

  TIME Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

  LOCATION L361    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Jennifer Young    jennifer.young@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

• Feb

  5

  ChBE Seminar Series - Phillip Savage, Guest Seminar – February 5th @9:45am in Tech L361

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  Dear ChBE Department and affiliates,

  Please join us Thursday, February 5th at 9:45am in Tech L361 for a guest seminar by Philip Savage.

  Phillip Savage will present a seminar titled, "Hydrothermal Reactions of Biopolymers and Synthetic Polymers – Toward Renewable Fuels and a more Circular Economy".

  Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:45am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!

  *Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.

  more less

  TIME Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

  LOCATION Technological Institute    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Jennifer Young    jennifer.young@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

• Feb

  12

  ChBE Seminar Series - Xiaojing Gao, Guest Seminar – February 12th @9:45am in Tech L361

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM L361, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  Dear ChBE Department and affiliates,

  Please join us Thursday, February 12th at 9:45am in Tech L361 for a guest seminar by Xiaojing Gao.

  Xiaojing Gao will present a seminar titled, "TBD".

  Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:45am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!

  *Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.

  more less

  TIME Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

  LOCATION L361, Technological Institute    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Jennifer Young    jennifer.young@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

• Feb

  19

  ChBE Seminar Series - Daniel de Castro Assumpcao and Elizabeth Johnson, Student Seminars – March 12th @9:45am in Tech L361

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM L361, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  Dear ChBE Department and affiliates,

  Please join us Thursday, March 12th at 9:45am in Tech L361 for student seminars by Daniel de Castro Assumpcao and Elizabeth Johnson.

  Daniel de Castro Assumpcao will present a seminar titled, "Reaching the Liver, and the Liver only: A Targeted Nanodelivery Strategy".

  Elizabeth Johnson will present a seminar titled, "Microcompartment signal sequences work cooperatively to mediate enzymatic core formation and encapsulated pathway function".

  Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:45am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!

  *Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.

  more less

  TIME Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

  LOCATION L361, Technological Institute    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Jennifer Young    jennifer.young@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

• Feb

  26

  ChBE Seminar Series - Michelle Calabrese, Guest Seminar – February 26th @9:45am in Tech L361

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM L361, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  Dear ChBE Department and affiliates,

  Please join us Thursday, February 26th at 9:45am in Tech L361 for a guest seminar by Michelle Calabrese.

  Michelle Calabrese will present a seminar titled, "TBD".

  Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:45am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!

  *Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.

  more less

  TIME Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

  LOCATION L361, Technological Institute    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Jennifer Young    jennifer.young@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

• Mar

  5

  ChBE Seminar Series - Nitash Balsara, Guest Seminar – March 5th @9:45am in Tech L361

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM L361, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  Dear ChBE Department and affiliates,

  Please join us Thursday, March 5th at 9:45am in Tech L361 for a guest seminar by Nitash Balsara.

  Nitash Balsara will present a seminar titled, "Movement of Polymer Molecules under Electric Fields and Relevance to Rechargeable Batteries".

  Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:45am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!

  *Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.

  more less

  TIME Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

  LOCATION L361, Technological Institute    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Jennifer Young    jennifer.young@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

• Mar

  12

  ChBE Seminar Series - Alex Best and Shivani Kozarekar, Student Seminars – January 29th @9:45am in Tech L361

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM L361, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  Dear ChBE Department and affiliates,

  Please join us Thursday, January 29th at 9:45am in Tech L361 for student seminars by Alex Best and Shivani Kozarekar.

  Alex Best will present a seminar titled, "Modeling the Thermal Degradation of Vinyl-Alcohol Containing Polymers".

  Shivani Kozarekar will present a seminar titled, "Computational approaches to circular polymer design".

  Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:45am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!

  *Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.

  more less

  TIME Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

  LOCATION L361, Technological Institute    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Jennifer Young    jennifer.young@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)