About Us | Sustainability | SIU

Our mission

The Sustainability Office at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is committed to empowering a culture of sustainability through collaborative campus-based solutions across academics, operations, research, and campus life.

Meet the team behind the sustainability initiatives at Southern Illinois University!

Aimee Lemrise, Director of Sustainability

Aimee Lemrise is the director of Sustainability. She has an extensive background in academics and student affairs in higher education and has earned a Master of Science in Geography & Environmental Resources. Her graduate studies focused on research in food systems, and undergraduate research about the Ivory Billed Woodpecker habitat in southern Illinois. Her academic achievements allowed her the opportunity to be selected as an Illinois Governor’s Environmental Corp EPA intern. After college, Lemrise quickly became involved in community grassroots environmental efforts. Her career later focused on opportunities in advising and teaching college students.

Outside of work, Lemrise loves exploring, gardening, and anything that will get her outdoors when she can find time. Aimee also enjoys being creative with art and music, traveling and learning about different cultures, anything related to food, working with the youth, and loves to make memories with her family. Lemrise is a recent inductee of Rotary Club of Carbondale Breakfast. Her role as the director of Sustainability has opened her up too many environmental and social issues which has fed her drive to communicate the urgency to the public that we must make changes now to improve the future opportunities for the next generation. As she continues to sharpen her philanthropy in sustainability, she is currently working to connect with the external community and align similar goals to better our society.

• At SIU, Lemrise’s leadership skills begin with staffing a team to support the university’s sustainability goals.
• She manages the SIU Sustainability Council in awarding grants and overseeing the SIU Green Fund. These grants are aimed at enhancing campus sustainability through various innovative projects
• Organize highly successful Earth Month celebrations one featuring keynote speaker Wanjiku “Wawa” Gatheru, who is an environmental justice advocate, Rhodes Scholar and founder of Black Girl Environmentalist. This event raised awareness and inspired action on environmental justice issues.
• Give Before You Go program: Coordinates this program to reduce waste when students move at the end of the school year in collaboration with university housing, rotary and campus ministries.
• Organized and led participation in the National Wildlife Federation national competition Campus Race to Zero Waste. SIU won first place in the Green Events category for its operation of a zero-waste station at the annual International Food Festival.

Sustainability Staff

• Shadia Afrin, Spring 2024
• Pukar Bhandari, Summer 2023
• Bharath Kumar Chintada, Spring 2024
• Bharathi Bhumireddy, Summer 2023