JULIO OTTINO

Dean, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Northwestern University

“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.”

Julio is a renaissance man, his history as an artist helps him take creative paths toward engineering solutions. He finds connections between science and cinema, and speaks more poetically about his work than one might expect from a chemical engineer.

Julio also shares Mac’s belief in the power of bringing people together. One of his projects is called the Finite Earth Group, an interdisciplinary group brought together to address climate change from every angle. He believes in getting to solutions faster by increasing the number of voices, and sources intellect and ideas similarly to the way that Mac does at Stone Edge Farm. It’s no surprise that the two are friends and collaborators.