The Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN) congratulates Michael Kelley on his transition to Director of Development for Research at Northwestern University. In his new role, Kelley will partner with Joseph (Jay) Walsh, Vice President of Research, to identify and manage the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major and principal gifts made in support of the University’s ambitious research agenda. Kelley will work closely with ISEN’s leadership to promote the Institute as a high-impact philanthropic opportunity and cultivate strategic membership on its Executive Council, an advisory board of renewable energy executives, conservationists, and cleantech entrepreneurs.
“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Michael as our new Director of Development. ISEN is a beacon for investment in Northwestern’s interdisciplinary sustainability and energy research and education. Michael’s important role will accelerate our opportunities to engage new stakeholders and to generate global impact,” said Demetria Giannisis, ISEN Director of Operations and Partnerships.
Prior to his current role, Kelley worked with Northwestern’s Alumni Relations and Development Department for nine years, most recently as Senior Associate Director of Foundation Relations. There, Kelley acted as the office liaison to University research centers, including ISEN, as well as many of the Institute’s associated academic departments across the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. Before accepting his current position, he also worked with Northwestern’s Central Major Gifts team.
Kelley graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Arts in history, and received his Master of Arts in history with a focus on energy policy history from the University of Illinois Springfield.
ISEN’s mission is to advance global sustainability and energy solutions through transformational research, interdisciplinary education, and public engagement. The Institute's portfolio of research centers includes the Argonne Northwestern Solar Energy Research Center, the Center for Advanced Materials for Energy and the Environment, the Center for Catalysis and Surface Science, and the Solar Fuels Institute.
