2026 WISER Distinguished Lectureship Series: Jennifer Holmgren
Co-sponsored by:
Wanger Institute for Sustainable Energy Research (WISER)
and
Armour College of Engineering Departments of:
- Chemical and Biological Engineering
- Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Industrial Technology and Management
- Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering
with
Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST)
The 2026 WISER Distinguished Lectureship Series
The 2026 WISER Distinguished Lectureship Series will take place on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, beginning at 3:30 p.m. (CT) in Perlstein Hall Auditorium, Room 131.
Light refreshments will be served after lecture.
THE LECTURE IS A HYBRID IN-PERSON PROGRAM AND WILL ALSO BE LIVE-STREAMED VIA THE ILLINOIS TECH YOUTUBE CHANNEL AT THE LINK BELOW
The lecture is a hybrid, in-person program, and it will be livestreamed via the Illinois Tech YouTube page.
- Access the live program via YouTube
- The question-and-answer section will take place online, and it can be accessed using the following password (the QR code to access the Q&A is also available below):
- Link:
- Passcode:
- Students who need to sign in for credit will find the form at the menti.com link above.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
Contact Peg Murphy at murphym@illinoistech.edu or 708.268.1458 if you have programming questions or need assistance.
Title
Innovation for a Circular Carbon Economy
Presented by
| Jennifer Holmgren Member |
Abstract
In today’s world, bold innovation is not just desirable, it’s essential for a sustainable future. Join Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, as she shares her journey transforming “impossible” ideas into global solutions for the circular carbon economy. This inspiring talk explores the intersection of perseverance, daring to dream big, and leveraging cutting-edge technology to rethink how we obtain, use and dispose of carbon.
Holmgren will discuss how LanzaTech, with a vision that many called impossible, turned waste carbon into valuable products and scaled it globally. Through real-world examples, students will see how resilience and unconventional thinking are crucial for turning audacious ideas into reality. Learn what it really takes to challenge norms, forge new paths, and use science to reshape our relationship with carbon.
The future demands relentless innovators who never give up. Are you ready to be one of them?
Biography
Jennifer Holmgren is the chairman and CEO of LanzaTech. Under Holmgren’s guidance, LanzaTech is developing a variety of platform chemicals and fuels, including the world’s first alternative jet fuel derived from industrial waste gases. She is also the director and chair of the LanzaJet Board of Directors. Prior to LanzaTech, Holmgren was the founding VP and general manager of the renewable energy and chemicals business unit at UOP LLC, a Honeywell Company. While there, she was a key driver of their leadership in low-carbon aviation biofuels.
Holmgren has authored or co-authored 50 United States patents and more than 30 scientific publications and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). In 2023 she was named to the Time Magazine Climate 100 list of Most Influential Leaders. Holmgren also sits on the Board of Directors of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), the Advisory Council for the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University, the National Academies' Board on Energy and Environmental Systems (BEES), the Advisory Council for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the Halliburton Labs Advisory Board, the Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS International Advisory Council, and the Founder Advisory for The Engine, a venture capital fund built by MIT that invests in early-stage science and engineering companies.
Holmgren holds a B.S. degree from Harvey Mudd College, a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, and an honorary doctorate from the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft).
Parking Accommodations
Guest parking is available in Lot A4 near The McCormick Tribune Campus Center, located at 32nd and State streets (Lot Code ILTECHA4). You can only pay for parking via mobile pay (credit/debit card only).
View the Mies Campus Parking Map
Contact Information
Peg Murphy, murphym@illinoistech.edu, 708.268.1458
or
Yesenia Diaz, ydiaz2@illinoistech.edu, 312.567.3041