2026 Sustainability Forum

2026 Sustainability Forum

Friday, Jan. 23 and Saturday, Jan. 24

Achieving the 16 UN Sustainable Development Goals will require ambitious synergism between academia, industry, and the population at large. This challenge offers a unique opportunity to transform not only the way we make things, but also the way we interact with each other and grow as a community. The three panels gathered for the forum will attempt to identify possible ways in which the whole community can collaborate to overcome the current technological hurdles, maintain a diverse, inclusive, and equitable society, and ultimately achieve a better, more sustainable world.

Join us, share your point of view, and contribute to this exciting adventure.

Thank you to our sponsors!

OU Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy

OU Sustainable Energy System

OU School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering

OU Asahi Glass Chair of Chemical Engineering

OU Institute for Community and Society Transformation

OU Materials Science and Engineering Program

2026 Schedule

Friday, Jan. 23 | Rawl Engineering Practice Facility
LGR Foundation Multipurpose Room (REFP 200)

5:00 pm	OU's Multidisciplinary SES Program Heather Bedle, SES Director, Associate Professor of Geosciences, EK Gaylord Presidential Professor, Lissa and Cy Wagner Professor of Geosciences
4:30 - 7:00 pm	Poster Session: Research Efforts Across OU
7:00 pm	Poster awards presentation John Klier, Dean, Gallogly College of Engineering John Antonio, Dean, Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy
7:30 pm	Adjourn
8:00 pm	Informal dinner at Thai Delight with speakers and panelists

Saturday, Jan. 24 | Gallogly Hall
Valero Lecture Hall (GLG 127)

8:30 am	Welcome Matt Hulver, Vice President for Research and Partnerships
9 - 10:30 am	Panel 1 – Sustainability in the National Security Sector Moderator: John Klier Panelists: Marybeth Radtke, Tinker AFB – Advanced Manufacturing Director Austin Burrus, BlueWhale Materials – Opportunities in Batteries Recycling Hai Duong, National University of Singapore - Materials for invisible aeroplanes Andrea Browning, Schrodinger – Senior Director – Polymers and Soft Matter
10:30 - 11	Coffee Break
11 am - 12:30 pm	Panel 2: Achieving and Maintaining Sustainability Moderator: Heather Bedle Panelists: Vassilis Charitopoulos, UCL – AI Deployment and Sustainable Energy Transition Alessandro Del Ponte, University of Alabama – Who Will Pay for Sustainability? J.C. Whorton, EnDev Resources LLC – Founding Member Chitru Fernando, OU Price – Corporate Social Responsibility and Shareholder Value
12:30 - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:00 pm	KEYNOTE: Lessons Learned from the RANGE Project Dimitrios Papavassiliou, SCBME Director and Professor Shane Connelly, Professor of Psychology and Co-Director of the Center for Applied Social Research
1:30 - 3:00 pm	Panel 3: Sustainability at the Energy-Materials Intersection Moderator: Dimitrios PapavassiliouPanelists: Christy Haynes, University of Minnesota – Sustainable Nanomaterials Iryna Zenyuk, UC Irvine – Electrochemical Systems Nicholas Spencer, Freeport LNG – Opportunities for Natural Gas Pejman Kazempoor, OU AME – Practical and Innovative Solutions Heather Bedle, OU Geosciences - ML and Subsurafce Reservoir Evaluation
3:00 - 3:30 pm	Coffee Break
3:30 -4:30 pm	Testimonials from MS Sustainability Students Panelists: Ayana Ames Dison Puntillo Nick Drake Wes Alexander
4:30 pm	Concluding Remarks John Antonio