Central Sustainability Alumni

Ava Brewer

Ava Brewer graduated from Central Michigan University’s Honors Program with a B.A.A. in Integrative Public Relations and Event Management in spring 2024. She began working for Central Sustainability in fall 2022, where she first explored sustainability communications through content creation, programming and community projects.

Ava is a Recycling Education Representative for WM’s Great Lakes Area Communications and Public Affairs team, where she develops sustainability education programs focused on recycling. She produces video projects, designs hands-on learning materials and creates visually engaging content to promote recycling best practices. Ava works closely with schools, municipalities and community organizations to strengthen partnerships, supports grant-writing efforts to fund recycling infrastructure and helps expand WM’s outreach on sustainability and waste reduction.

Ava is grateful to have a role where she can continue working in sustainability and using her skills to drive meaningful change.

Meghan VanDamme

Meghan graduated from Central Michigan University in spring 2024, with a major in environmental engineering and a minor in leadership. While attending CMU, Meghan was involved in the Leadership Institute and many student organizations across campus.  She has worked on many projects with Central Sustainability, including expanding the composting program on campus, planning the campus race to zero waste, creating a sustainability map for campus and conducting purchasing audits for the University.  She is most proud of helping create a community on campus that is more knowledgeable and caring of sustainability related issues.  She plans to work as an Environmental Engineer and continue shifting perspectives and educating others about sustainability. 

Claire DeBlanc

Claire graduated with honors in Spring 2024 with majors in environmental studies and political science, and a minor in environmental science. She has been such a valuable member of our CS team, launching projects such as the reusable cup incentive program, expanding the campus composting systems, co-coordinating the 2024 Hackathon Reimagined to be sustainability-focused, passing legislation to restrict the usage of single-use items at campus events and helping with regular programming.

She is most proud of "working with an incredible team to get more people involved in sustainability and increasing access to sustainability projects and programs within the campus community." After graduation, Claire completed a sustainability internship with Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, then became the Circular Economy Coordinator in the City of Ann Arbor’s Office of Sustainability and Innovations. 

Eric Urbaniak

In spring 2023, Eric graduated from CMU with dual degrees in biology and public & nonprofit administration, with a certified nonprofit professional credential. Now, Eric is pursuing a master's degree in natural resources at the University of Vermont with a concentration in environment, society and public affairs. Urbaniak is researching national trends around climate action and higher education carbon pricing mechanisms. He is also part of the newly formed Sustainable Solutions Lab at UVM, where he and other students use campus as a living laboratory to implement socio-ecological programs and policies. In his free time, Eric drums with a Brazilian drum group, Sambatucada, plays on an intramural volleyball team and spends his weekends hiking new trails in Vermont!

Teresa Homsi

Teresa graduated from CMU in 2022 and now works as an environmental journalist for WCMU Public Radio. At CMU she studied journalism and environmental studies. She was one of the two students that brought Central Sustainability from a concept to reality. She received the AASHE student sustainability leadership award in 2021 as well as the EPA WasteWise award for sustainability public education.  She worked on many projects within the Central Sustainability office and has left a lasting positive impact on the Central Michigan University community.

Lauren Dey

Lauren graduated from Central Michigan University in fall 2024 with majors in environmental studies and Spanish. While at CMU, Lauren was involved in the Student Environmental Alliance, Take Back the Tap and Campus Grows. She also authored and presented legislation to the Student Government Association recommending that CMU implement a student sustainability fee which passed and was implemented while she attended CMU. In her time with Central Sustainability, she worked on many projects such as starting the on-campus farmers’ market, helping to revitalize the on-campus garden and giving presentations to different audiences in the community. The achievement she is most proud of is seeing a tangible difference on campus from sustainability efforts and building a strong network of friends and colleagues who all care about sustainability as much as she does.

Lauren is completing a sustainability education communications internship with WM which will help her spread the message about the importance of recycling and sustainability on a different scale, and she’s excited to continue this important work.