Erb Institute

From the archives! Does anyone still have this t-shirt? 👀 We can't wait to see you at Erb Returns!

When Rupal Bain was a graduate student at Erb, she traveled to Odisha, India, to develop a business plan for a solar lantern initiative alongside a local woman-led organization. That experience showed her firsthand that clean energy solutions must fit the real-world social and economic context to truly succeed.

Decades later, she carries those same principles into her work scaling clean energy projects across the U.S.

🔗 Read more about how Rupal's time at the Erb Institute helped shape her mission to turn green ideas into real-world impact: https://erb.umich.edu/about/erb-news/erb.umich.edu-about-erb-news-solar-power-rupal-bain-2008-on-making-an-impact

We're counting down the days to an unforgettable weekend. Will we see you at Erb Returns this September? 💙 ✨

Growing up in Chicago, Erb Institute alum Aaron Harris (MBA/MS '06) always had a deep appreciation for the city's classic architecture. Through his real estate company, Harris Point Chicago, he’s bringing historic neighborhood buildings back to life—turning them into energy-efficient, community-driven homes for local medical and graduate students.

For Aaron and his wife Jaime (Ross School of Business BBA '03), it’s about more than just housing. It’s about creating healthy environments where future healthcare leaders can connect, thrive, and give back.

Read more about his journey:

Reviving History and Building Community: Aaron Harris (MBA/MS '06) Is on a Green Housing Mission - Erb Institute The Erb Institute at the University of Michigan empowers future leaders to drive sustainable business and environmental impact through innovative education, research, and partnerships.

We’re throwing it back to some incredible moments from Erb study abroad trips from 2005-2017! 🌍 While these experiences equip our students to lead and innovate anywhere in the world, the connections built in Ann Arbor always bring us back together.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Erb Returns this September!

The conversation around data centers in Michigan is complex—touching on energy, water, land use, and local community needs. To help bring clarity and collaboration to this space, we joined forces with several partners, including the Center for EmPowering Communities, University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, U-M Graham Sustainability Institute, and the Office of Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action, to host a workshop bringing together municipal leaders, industry experts, researchers, and community advocates.

Check out the full Data Centers in Michigan Report and Event Summary to see what we learned and where the conversation goes next: https://erb.umich.edu/about/erb-news/charting-michigans-data-center-future-together-2026

One of the best things about the Erb Institute is our alumni network. We’re stronger together because of the diversity of our roles—from the C-suite to the frontlines of climate tech. We’re excited to welcome alumni back to Ann Arbor for Erb Returns this fall. 💙 〽️✨

Calling all early-career researchers! 📣

Applications are officially open for the Erb Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship.

If your research addresses global sustainability challenges through the lens of business, markets, and systems-level change, we want to hear from you.

This is a great opportunity to advance your research, collaborate across the Ross School of Business and University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, and help shape sustainable enterprise solutions.

💡 Learn more and apply by December 13, 2026: https://erb.umich.edu/faculty-research/erb-scholars/application

A lot has changed around the Dana Building over the years, but the mission inside remains exactly the same. For 30 years, the Erb Institute has been proving the business and sustainability go hand in hand.

To celebrate three decades of impact, we're bringing our alumni back to where it all began. Will we see you this September at Erb Returns?