Meet the Central Sustainability Team

This year, six students are leading the Central Sustainability office. With diverse backgrounds,  majors and interests, the team is working together to address sustainability from a multitude of perspectives. For questions, comments, or to engage, visit Dow 275 or reach out to sustainability@cmich.edu!


Ava Brewer in a light blue dress leaning against a colorfully painted brick wall.

Ava Brewer

Ava Brewer is a Central Michigan University Honors student studying Integrative Public Relations and Event Management. She began working for Central Sustainability in Fall 2022 and is excited to make a difference on campus and beyond! Ava is also in the Chippewa Marching Band, works for CMU Facilities Management, and has an internship with Rathbun Public Relations. Some sustainability topics Ava is especially passionate about include waste reduction, zero waste living, fighting fast fashion, animal welfare, and sustainability education.

Claire DeBlanc in a floral dress smiling at the camera.

Claire DeBlanc

Claire is a junior majoring in Environmental Studies and Political Science and minoring in Environmental Science at Central Michigan University. Claire has always been passionate about sustainability, starting with activities like stewarding a nature sanctuary and coordinating local climate action. At CMU, Claire has been in multiple sustainability centered roles such as the Student Government Association Sustainability Committee Chair, a community council Sustainability Advocate, and a representative for Central Students Sierra Club. Other things that Claire enjoys includes mountain biking, hiking, and sailing.

Lauren Dey in a light colored shirt smiling at the camera.

Lauren Dey

Lauren is a sophomore at Central Michigan University majoring in Environmental Studies and Spanish. She loves nature and believes it’s important to preserve it for coming generations, which is why she is most passionate about advocating for renewable energy and reducing plastic pollution. She is involved with Take Back the Tap and Student Environmental Alliance here at CMU, and hopes that through working on projects with the Central Sustainability team, she will make a difference for the present and future of sustainability at CMU.

Tiffany Jurge in a dark blouse smiling at the camera.

Tiffany Jurge

Tiffany is a sophomore at CMU. She is majoring in Political Science and Environmental Studies with hopes of pursuing environmental law in the future. As President of Central Student Sierra Club and Sustainability Coordinator for Central Sustainability, environmental consciousness and sustainable practices are some of Tiffany's greatest passions. Her other interests include language, travel, nature, reading, and art. Tiffany is beyond excited for all the projects she and her team will be working on to ensure the success of CMU's sustainability programs!

Eric Urbaniak in front of a brick wall, wearing blue suit, smiling at the camera.

Eric Urbaniak

Eric is a senior studying Biology and Public and Nonprofit Administration. He started Central Sustainability in 2020 with fellow student Teresa Homsi, and has since worked to expand the platform into a functional campus office. Outside of school, Eric has interned with the Michigan Department of EGLE, Meijer Gardens, and is a board member for RecycleMania, Inc.. After college, he hopes to pursue a career in sustainability education and zero waste management. For fun, Eric enjoys hiking, golfing, kayaking, and anything outdoors.

Meghan VanDamme in a floral dress smiling at the camera over her shoulder.

Meghan VanDamme

Meghan is a Junior Majoring in Environmental Engineering and minoring in Leadership. She is passionate about sustainability because she wants to create a future that we can all feel good about. Meghan cares especially about protecting our water sources and waste reduction. She feels fortunate to be working on projects alongside the rest of the team and getting to see social and environmental progress on our campus as a result!