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Climate Action and Sustainability Council

Coinciding with the first draft of the "Miami 2040: Climate Action Plan for Miami University (Sept. 2023)" - informed by the former Climate Action Task Force - the task force and the Miami University Sustainability Committee combined to form the Climate Action and Sustainability Council for 2023-2024.

Co-Chairs

  • Susan Meikle, Lead writer Miami 2040 Plan; University News and Communications Writer/Editor, Sustainability Communications Manager, meiklesb@MiamiOH.edu
  • Jonathan Levy: director, Institute for the Environment and Sustainability, and associate professor of Geology and Environmental Earth Science, levyj@MiamiOH.edu
  • Olivia Herron, director of Sustainability in Physical Facilities, herronol@MiamiOH.edu

Former Sustainability Committee (SC) members:

Susan Meikle: (SC co-chair); Lead writer Miami 2040 Plan; University News and Communications Writer/Editor, Sustainability Communications Manager

Olivia Herron: (CATF-co-chair); Sustainability Director, member of Oxford Climate Action Steering Committee

Jonathan Levy: (CATF co-chair); Director of the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability, associate professor of Geology 

Ryan Gunderson: (SC co-chair), associate professor of Sociology and Gerontology

Rob Abowitz: Associate director, office of Residence Life ; advisor for EcoReps student org

Anna Abey: Master's of Environmental Science student; graduate student intern with office of sustainability and the Graduate School

Leo Ambris: Associated Student Government secretary for Infrastructure and Sustainability; Senior Political Science major

Tim Cameron: Associate dean of College of Engineering and Computing, professor of Mechanical Engineering (a former co-chair of the SC)

Lindsay Carpenter: Associate Vice Provost for Budget and Analytics, Provost’s office

Cody Powell: Associate Vice President, Facilities Planning and Operations (CATF and SC member) 

Jon Ralinovsky: piano technician, College of Creative Arts; member of City of Oxford Environmental Commission

From the former Climate Action Task Force (CATF, with committee areas)

Jonathan Levy (CATF co-chair)

Olivia Herron (CATF Co-chair)

Susan Meikle (CATF report lead, communications)

Cody Powell (Energy)

David Prytherch (Commuting/Air travel) : professor of Geography; chair of City of Oxford Planning Commission, member of the City of Oxford’s Climate Action Steering Committee; Miami’s first Sustainability Coordinator

Lisa Ellram (Offsets): University Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management

Jason Rech (Resilience): chair and professor of Geology 

Cameron Hay Rollins (Resilience): chair and professor of Anthropology; coordinator of the Global Health Research Innovation Center 

Scott Walter (Student Engagement): assistant vice president for Student Life: Student Engagement and Leadership

Randi Thomas: Vice President of the Office of ASPIRE 

Matt Saxton (Regionals): assistant professor of Biological Sciences

Mike Vanni (Research): professor of Biology

New members 2023-2024:

David Gorchov, professor of Biology, chair of the Miami University Natural Areas committee

Kourtney Spaulding: associate director of events, operations, and sustainability initiatives for Armstrong Student Center

Reena Murphy (MEn '23): Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Oxford

Natalie Teale, assistant professor of Geography

Qing Burke, associate professor of Accountancy