Miami Presents: Applied Sustainability Post-College

Join us for a special conversation with three graduates of the class of 2020 who have gone to work in sustainability. 

Adam Sizemore, Miami's Director of Sustainability, will catch up with Kelsen Forren, Olivia Herron and Cecil Okotah with whom he worked while they were at Miami.  The group will discuss how their work on campus and how that helped lead them to jobs focused on environmental impact.  Audience participation with questions and comments is welcome!

Kelsey Forren ‘20 is an Assistant Director of the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center in Washington, DC. In this capacity, she focuses primarily on industrial decarbonization strategies, the climate and trade nexus and the energy transition. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Miami, where she also received master’s degrees in environmental science and political science.

Olivia Herron ’20 works as the Sustainability Coordinator at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. Recent projects include converting the science complex to LED lighting, opening a greenway to connect the campus to 10 miles of city trails and developing the university’s first sustainability goals. She is the Chair of the Sustainable Campus Fee Committee and serves on the board of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Green Certification Program. In her free time, she is volunteering with the Mayor’s office to establish the city’s first Sustainability Board, is active with her local chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby and is pursuing a Master of Science in Leadership.  At Miami University, she completed a Bachelors in Strategic Communications with Co Majors in Food Studies and Sustainability, as well as a Masters of Environmental Science.

Cecil Okotah ‘20 is the program assistant for the Environmental Professionals Network (EPN) at The Ohio State University. Cecil’s role entails supporting and enhancing educational and networking programs, projects, and series on environmental issues for Ohio State’s EPN and the School of Environment and Natural Resources. Cecil joined the EPN in January ’21 after receiving his master’s degree in Environmental Science and a specialization in Sustainability in Management and Planning from Miami University. As a graduate student, Cecil served as Miami’s Recycling Coordinator. Cecil assisted with the creation and implementation of recycling programs to improve Miami’s recycling rates. He also worked closely with Miami’s Sustainability Committee to compile and examine climate action plans from 60 Higher Education Institutions and co-authored a report for the University President, Gregory Crawford.

Please reach out to J.J. Slager at slagerjj@miamioh.edu if you have any questions.

Register for this Free Event