Cultivating a campus culture of sustainability by empowering peers to take meaningful, measurable actions toward a more sustainable future.

The SEED (Sustainability Education + Empowerment = Doing) Leadership program builds a network of sustainability-literate student leaders who inspire, educate, and empower their CMU peers to take meaningful action on environmental issues.
Each academic year SEED Leaders develop and implement sustainability projects and engage peers through education that advances CMU's commitment to environmental stewardship.
SEED Leaders lead and support a variety of campus projects and initiatives, including:
- Waste reduction and recycling campaigns, such as the Campus Race to Zero Waste competition
- Scotty Goes Green certification support, fostering greener operations across departments
- Outreach events and tabling activities, engaging students in sustainability education
- Partnerships with Green Practices to pilot new environmental programs
- Workshops and presentations for student organizations, classes, and orientation programs
2025-26 SEED Leaders

Anya Bansal
Class of 2027 | Tepper School of Business
Major: Business Administration & Statistics
Minor: Environmental & Sustainability Studies
Hometown: Edison, NJ
Favorite Campus Outdoor Spot: The hills on the Mall

Eesha Chen
Class of 2028 |College of Fine Arts
Major: Architecture
Hometown: Hastings on Hudson, NY
Favorite Pittsburgh Outdoor Spot: Mellon Park

Stuti Garg
Class of 2027 |College of Fine Arts
Major: Sustainable Design
Hometown: Agra, India
Favorite Campus Outdoor Spot: The Cut

Addie Martins
Class of 2026 |College of Engineering
Major: Mechanical Engineering, Engineering & Public Policy
Hometown: Wenham, MA
Favorite Pittsburgh Outdoor Spot: The Color Park

Ella Vander Velde
Class of 2026 |College of Engineering
Major: Environmental Engineering and Engineering & Public Policy
Hometown: Lake Forest, IL
Favorite Pittsburgh Outdoor Spot: Flagstaff Hill
JOIN SEED! Are you an undergraduate or graduate student at CMU interested in campus sustainability? Join our network of campus sustainability leaders! Recruitment occurs in the spring and fall via Handshake.
Want to get an email when applications are open? Send a message to GreenPractices@andrew.cmu.edu to let us know you are interested.