About
Miami's various sustainability stakeholders include, but are not limited to, current and future students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, suppliers, contractors, residents of the communities in which we operate, and those who live both within and beyond the boundaries of the state.
Climate Action and Sustainability Council Executive Steering Committee; Working Groups
A focused, high-level executive steering committee is essential to guide and ensure the implementation of the objectives that will lead to the achievement of Miami's goals for carbon neutrality and pursuit of a platinum ranking from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking and Assessment Rating System (STARS). Formed in fall 2024, the Climate Action and Sustainability Council’s Executive Steering Committee — comprising members from the President’s Executive Cabinet — will have the appropriate authority and institutional knowledge to oversee the council’s six working groups.
Elizabeth Mullinex, Provost
Jayne Brownell, Senior Vice President for Student Life
David Creamer, Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Services and Treasurer
Brad Bundy, Vice President for University Advancement
Jessica Rivinius, Vice President, and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Randi Malcolm Thomas, Esq., Vice President for ASPIRE
Michael Crowder, Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
Dawn Fahner, Associate Vice President for Human Resources
Communications and marketing liaison for the Executive Steering Committee and CASC Working Groups: Susan Meikle, Writer and Sustainability Communications, University Communications and Marketing
Energy Use and Production: Chaired by Malcolm Drane, Director of Energy Systems
- Responsible for reducing energy consumption; completing the transition of building heating and cooling systems off steam; electrifying the campus systems to reduce burning fossil-fuels on site; generating electricity from solar energy (zero-emissions energy) on-site; procuring purchased electricity from renewable sources; and offset the remainder.
Transportation (Scope 3 Emissions): Co-chaired by Cody Powell, Associate Vice President, Facilities Planning and Operations; and David Prytherch, professor of Geography, chair of City of Oxford Planning Commission, and member of the City of Oxford’s Climate Action Steering Committee
- Responsible for reducing Faculty, Staff, and Student commuting to campus and discouraging University Sponsored Air Travel to address Scope 3 emissions in alignment with Miami’s Climate Action Plan.
Environment & Sustainability Curriculum: Chaired by Tom Crist, professor of Biology
- Responsible for generating recommendations for how the University and the Institute for the Environment & Sustainability might enhance Miami’s curriculum relating to the environment and sustainability.
Procurement and Waste: Co-chaired by Allen Sizemore, Associate Director of Analytics and Data Administration, Office of Strategic Procurement, and Chelsea Green, assistant clinical professor of Finance and Business Legal Studies
- Responsible for quantifying Miami’s waste and procurement streams and developing a new plan to reduce the environmental impact of these activities.
Student Engagement: Chaired by Olivia Herron, Director of Sustainability
- Responsible for educating the student body about Miami’s efforts to address environmental problems and their opportunities for involvement on campus and in their professional careers.
Faculty & Staff Engagement: Chaired by Olivia Herron, Director of Sustainability
- Responsible for educating faculty and staff about Miami’s efforts to address environmental problems and how this relates to their duties as Miami employees.
Sustainability and Climate Action at Miami University
The Miami University Sustainability Committee, created in 2010 with the appointment of Miami’s first sustainability coordinator, drafted the first set of Sustainability Commitments and Goals (SCAG).
Updated in 2016 and led by Miami’s first full-time sustainability director, the SCAG helped guide actions leading toward Miami’s AASHE Gold STARS ratings by (2019, 2022) and our 32 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver and Gold-Certified buildings, which account for more than 30% of building square footage on the Oxford campus.
In 2019, Miami University President Gregory Crawford charged the Sustainability Committee to prepare a new plan for sustainability that would leverage our successes to date and set forth new aspirations. The report “A Commitment to Lead” (June 2019) led to a new charge to further examine carbon neutrality pathways (report February 2020).
Image: Suzi Zazycki (left) co-chair of the Sustainability Committee 2016–2022, and Susan Meikle (right), co-chair 2022-current, with Helaine Alessio (not pictured) work on the report “Further Examination of Carbon Neutrality Pathways: An Addendum to The Commitment to Lead,” Feb. 2020.
That report recommended that President Crawford sign the Climate Commitment, committing Miami to Carbon Neutrality and an assessment of climate resilience.
President Crawford signed the PCLC-Climate Commitment in September 2020. The Miami University Climate Action Task Force informed much of this Miami 2040 plan.
In fall 2023 the Miami University Climate Action Task Force and the Sustainability Committee combined to form the Climate Action and Sustainability Council.
View the 2023-2024 members on the Sustainability website: MiamiOH.edu/sustainability/climate-action-task-force
Co-chairs:
- Susan Meikle, B.Phil. ’83, lead writer Miami 2040 Plan, co-chair Climate Action and Sustainability Council, Miami University Communications and Marketing writer and sustainability communications
- Olivia Herron, B.A./MEn. ’20, co-chair Climate Action and Sustainability Council, Director of Sustainability
- Jonathan Levy, co-chair Climate Action and Sustainability Council, Director of the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability, associate professor of Geology and Environmental Earth Science
Timeline of Sustainability at Miami 2009-2022
2009
- Miami’s first sustainability coordinator (partial faculty release time) was appointed. David Prytherch, professor of geography, served 2009 through 2012.
- Sustainability Committee formed.
- Sustainability Education Coordinator, half-time position created. Position is filled by MEn graduate students annually.
- Miami’s first LEED-certified building, Farmer School of Business, opened.
- The Miami University Revolving Green Fund, for student-sponsored projects, established (it has been used for one project to date).
2010
- First Sustainability Commitments and Goals (SCAG) drafted by the Sustainability Committee; signed by Miami University President David Hodge in 2011.
- The positions of director of sustainability, sustainability coordinator, and energy systems are within Miami’s Physical Facilities Department.
2011
- First Director of Sustainability and Energy Conservation position created. Yvette Kline served 2011-2016. The position was half-time duties in sustainability, half-time in energy conservation.
- Stormwater Master Plan, which earned national recognition, developed by PFD.
2012
- Major geothermal heating and cooling system planned, Utility Master Plan (UMP) created.
2013
- Director of Energy Systems position created. Doug Hammerle director, 2013-2020.
2016-2017
- 2010 SCAG revised and updated (See 2016 SCAG). Signed by Miami University President Crawford in 2016.
- Director of Sustainability and Energy Conservation retires 2016. Position vacant July 2016 through July 2018.
- The part-time Sustainability Education Coordinator served as the key sustainability liaison while a search for the new Director commenced, 2016-2017.
- Utility Master Plan updated to plan for transitioning Oxford campus buildings off steam and onto geothermal, Heating Hot Water and Simultaneous Heating and Cooling systems.
2018
- Sustainability coordinator position vacant 2017-2018.
- Full-time Sustainability Director within Physical Facilities Department position created, filled July 2018 by Adam Sizemore.
- Sustainability coordinator position filled July 2018. IES graduate student Kelsey Forren served as coordinator.
2019
- Sustainability coordinator Kelsey Forren graduates; IES graduate student Olivia Herron, 2019-2020 coordinator.
- Cecil Okotah, IES graduate student, served in new position of recycling coordinator, 2019-2020.
- Received Gold STARS status from AASHE.
2020
- Historic COVID-19 pandemic.
- September 2020: President Gregory Crawford signed the Presidents' Climate Leadership Commitments - Climate Commitment.
2021
- President Crawford adopts the Sustainability Pillars; 2016 Sustainability Commitments and Goals (SCAG) have been met and are retired.
2022
- Adam Sizemore, Sustainability Director in PFD, moves to USI; new director, Olivia Herron, begins in October.
- New Director of Energy Systems, Malcolm Drane, begins in April.
- Received Gold STARS status from AASHE.
