DURHAM, N.C. — Two Duke University alumni who graduated with the undergraduate Certificate in Energy and Environment have been named to Forbes Magazine’s “30 Under 30 in Energy” list.

Karim Khalil and Scott Martin were recognized by the magazine as up-and-coming entrepreneurs and innovators in industry.

The six-course certificate program, which is administered jointly by Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment and Pratt School of Engineering, enables undergraduates from all disciplines at the university to pursue in-depth studies of the energy system, including the interrelations of technology, economics, policy and the environment.

Khalil, a 2012 Pratt alum, is a PhD candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-founder of the startup Infinite Cooling, which aims to reduce power plants’ water consumption by using electrical fields to capture and recycle water vapor from evaporative cooling tower systems

Martin, a 2014 Pratt alum, serves as principal at 8 Rivers Capital, where he’s working on a project to implement an innovative carbon capture technique to generate low-cost, emissions-free electricity from carbon-based fuels.

Khalil cites his experience in the interdisciplinary certificate program for helping him understand the complexities of effecting change in the energy sector.

“Technology is one part of the story, but you need a policy framework that can be conducive to positive change in the energy space,” he says. “I was exposed to energy from all different angles, not just the technical side.”

Emily Klein, professor of earth sciences and director of undergraduate studies at the Nicholas School, and Josiah Knight, associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at the Pratt School and a faculty member of the Duke Energy Initiative, serve as the Energy and Environment certificate program’s co-directors.

You can read more about Khalil and Martin’s recognition on the Duke Energy Initiative website..

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