Hosted by: Current
Join us for Current’s annual Freshwater Forum, the premier event of Chicago Water Week 2026!
NOTE: THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!
Event Overview
6:00 PM | Doors open
6:30 PM | Opening remarks
6:40 PM | Lakeside chat with Dr. Erwin Gianchandani, the U.S. National Science Foundation’s assistant director for Technology, Innovation and Partnership.
7:00 PM | MacArthur Fellows Panel
7:30 PM | Open networking
9:30 PM | Event ends
MacArthur Fellows Panelists:
- William Dichtel (Professor of Chemistry, Northwestern University) – pioneering nanostructured materials for molecular separations and water purification.
- William Tarpeh (Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University) – developing sustainable methods to recover resources from wastewater, advancing nutrient and metal recycling technologies.
- Juan Salgado (Chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago) – building equitable workforce models for underrepresented communities in Chicago’s growing water sector
Panel Moderator:
- Lourdes Duarte (Anchor and Investigative Reporter, WGN) – a five-time EMMY Award winner. She anchors the WGN Evening News at 4pm and 5PM. She is also one of WGN’s lead investigative reporters. Prior to her role on the evening news, Lourdes co-anchored the top-rated WGN Morning News. She also hosts WGN’s public affairs program Adelante Chicago.
Location
333 N Green St; Chicago, IL
Date/Time
Thursday May 7, from 6pm until 9:30 pm
Cost
Free
Thank you to our lead sponsor, MacArthur Foundation, whose generous support makes it possible to offer this event free of charge to attendees.
We also appreciate support from our sponsors Nicor Illinois Community Investment (NICI), Taft Law, and JP Morgan Chase, Guidehouse, as well as Sloan for generously providing the event space.
