Activating Climate and Energy Progress through Education
You’re invited to an online event
Activating Climate and Energy Progress through Education
with Dr. Desirée Plata and Dr. Chris Rabe
An Open Conversation hosted by Curt Newton
Thursday, December 3, 2026 12PM-1PM
Questions and answers to follow.
Understanding the connections between climate, energy, and economic growth is critical to shaping a future where thriving communities and economic prosperity are no longer tied to greenhouse gas emissions. How can we think differently about climate, energy, and cross-sector solutions that build resilience, support adaptation, and create a healthier, more prosperous and equitable future for all?
Join Dr. Desirée Plata, Dr. Chris Rabe, and Curt Newton from MIT Open Learning for an engaging conversation about what climate and energy actions are needed now and how education can empower people to make informed decisions and drive meaningful change.
During this conversation, the team will share the vision behind Universal Climate and Energy, an effort designed to bridge climate and energy knowledge with real-world application. They will discuss how the program will prepare learners for impactful careers, informed civic engagement, and leadership for a more sustainable future.
About the Speakers
Desirée Plata is the School of Engineering Distinguished Professor of Climate and Energy at MIT and a hard technology innovator. She focuses on sustainable design and translates geochemical insight to inform deployable technologies that achieve high performance and reduce emissions in industrial systems, unlock circular resource flows, and promote ecosystem health and sustainability. She leads the MIT Methane Network, directs the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium, directs the Parsons Laboratory for Environmental Science and Engineering, and co-directs MIT’s Superfund Research Program. Plata is co-founder of Nth Cycle and Moxair, companies advancing domestic critical mineral recovery and low-temperature methane abatement. Her research portfolio spans chemical transformations, materials science, heterogeneous catalysis, environmental chemistry, and industrial decarbonization, with an emphasis on rapid technology validation and field deployment. She holds a PhD from MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and has received many awards for her intellectual contributions and innovations.
Chris Rabe leads Universal Climate and Energy, a new foundational offering from MIT Open Learning designed to make climate education more accessible across the globe. He is also the Education Program Director at the MIT Climate Project, where he helps shape how climate and sustainability are taught across MIT.
His work centers on expanding climate and sustainability education with a focus on climate and environmental justice. He’s especially interested in how emotion, community engagement, and the ethics of science and technology shape our collective response to climate change. His research has appeared in the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, the Journal of Environmental Justice, and Contingencies: A Journal of Global Pedagogy.
As a practitioner-scholar, Rabe bridges research and practice by mentoring students, supporting faculty, developing open-source curriculum, and co-teaching courses such as Environmental Justice, Science, and Technology in MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning. Before joining MIT, he taught at UMass Boston, where he also earned an MA in Applied Linguistics and a PhD in Higher Education.
Curt Newton leads MIT OpenCourseWare, part of MIT Open Learning, in supporting millions of global learners and educators every year with freely shared materials from over 2,500 MIT courses. Newton joined OpenCourseWare in 2004, shortly after its launch, captivated by the promise of open education, and worked as a Publication Manager and Site Curator prior to becoming Director in 2018.
Newton is also a recognized leader in building more effective and equitable climate action through open knowledge practices and resources, at MIT and around the world, through a wide range of professional and civic engagements.
We hope you'll join us!
Please note, this conversation will be recorded and redistributed by MIT OpenCourseWare and MIT Open Learning for non-commercial use following the event. Any questions selected during the Q&A may be captured in the recording. By submitting a question, you consent to allowing your name and question to be shared by MIT OpenCourseWare and MIT Open Learning.