October 8
@
12:00 PM
–
1:00 PM
NEEP Seminar Series
Thursdays
12:00 – 1:00 PM
106 Engineering Research Building
Please contact office@neep.wisc.edu for assistance with remote participation.
The Oppenheimer Project: Responsible Expansion of Peaceful Nuclear Technology
In this talk, Theo will discuss his work as Senior Director of the Oppenheimer Project (OP), a California-based nonprofit organization founded by descendants of J. Robert Oppenheimer. OP is grounded in Oppenheimer’s legacy and his belief that international cooperation is essential to a peaceful and prosperous nuclear future. He will also discuss his work at OP to mobilize and expand philanthropic support for the responsible expansion of peaceful nuclear technology around the world.
Theo Kalionzes is a Senior Director at the Oppenheimer Project. He brings broad experience in philanthropy, making grants and shaping strategies at the intersection of geopolitics and energy. He co-developed the strategy for a Big Bet at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which delivered $100 million in grants from 2015 – 2020. From 2020 – 2023, Theo helped to build a three-year, $30 million capstone initiative at MacArthur. For many years he served as an Internal Advisor to MacArthur’s Climate Solutions program. MacArthur’s Board approved 200 grants Theo recommended during his tenure, totaling over $80 million in charitable giving. Before MacArthur, he was a program staff member in the International Peace and Security Program at the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. Previously Theo was a consultant and speechwriter in the External Relations section of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, a United Nations-family organization based in Vienna, Austria.