About Us

There are unprecedented challenges facing our community and world that can be addressed by actively engaging in sustainable practices on personal, community, and global levels. Institutions of higher education are critical in preparing future generations to address the many issues we face as a global community. Through implementation of the Sustainability Strategic Plan, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) strives to make the changes that are necessary for a sustainable and equitable future.

As part of its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, UMB has unveiled an updated set of core values, including Well-Being and Sustainability. This core value demonstrates the care that we at UMB take to protect the welfare of our people, planet, communities, and University.

Many aspects of sustainability such as climate change, energy savings, and waste reduction have taken the forefront in our society. However, sustainability encompasses a much broader area and is multidimensional. At UMB, our definition of sustainability is comprehensive and encompasses three central pillars: equity, economy, and environment. UMB has a longstanding commitment to sustainability through implementing initiatives that fulfill all three of these pillars, and we look forward to continuing the work of building an inclusive culture of sustainability at UMB and in the city of Baltimore.

Meet the Team

Team photo at Fall '24 campus cleanup

Elizabeth Main

Elizabeth Main, Director

Responsible for: Carbon Master Plan, Self-Service, and Administrative Planning and Coordination

Elizabeth joined UMB in September 2021. As director, she works to develop and implement a wide range of strategic, campuswide sustainability programs focused on the topics of energy, water, waste, transportation, and procurement. Elizabeth came to UMB from the University of Pennsylvania's sustainability team, where she managed sustainability outreach, engagement, and communications initiatives. While working at Penn, Elizabeth completed her Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the school’s Fels Institute of Government. Elizabeth is originally from central Virginia and holds a BS degree in Environmental Sciences and a BA in Global Studies: Environments + Sustainability from the University of Virginia. In her free time, Elizabeth is a foodie who loves trying new vegetarian-friendly restaurants and is a devoted mother to her many house plants.

Angela Ober

Angela Ober, Senior Specialist

Responsible for: Sustainability Metrics, Data Visualization, and GHG Inventory Reporting

Angela joined the Sustainability team in August 2021 as the senior specialist of sustainability. Angela has over six years of experience working in the environmental realm focusing on stormwater management, GIS, and sustainability. Her recent experience as an environmental planner at Towson University included revamping its waste minimization and energy webpages and using GIS to create different StoryMaps for education and outreach. Angela also drafted Towson’s stormwater impervious baseline assessment to assist with the university’s annual reporting efforts. Angela has experience working at the Maryland Environmental Service, where she helped streamline the joint permit application process with the Maryland Department of the Environment. In 2020, Angela became one of the first 40 Certified Climate Change Professionals in the state of Maryland. When she’s not in the office, you can find her experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, hiking or running on local trails, or practicing yoga (she’s a certified yoga teacher). She lives in Catonsville with her husband and their three cats that are named after breakfast foods. 

Image of Meredith

Meredith DiIoia, Specialist

Responsible for: Social Media and Website Management, Outreach and Engagement Initiatives, and the Monthly Newsletter

Meredith is very excited to be joining the Sustainability team at UMB as the sustainability and effectiveness specialist. Meredith graduated from the University of Aberdeen with an MSc in Sustainability Transitions as a Rotary International Global Grant Scholar. She also has a BA in Global Studies: Environments + Sustainability from the University of Virginia. Meredith previously worked at Appalachian Sustainable Development as a grant writing intern. Meredith is from southwest Virginia and enjoys spending time in the Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountains. Outside of the office, Meredith likes to bake, enjoy the arts, and spend time outdoors. 

Alumni

BENJAMIN EGLASH, WASTE AND DATA FELLOW (2024) ▾

Ben was a fellow with the Office of Sustainability from March 2024 to December 2024. After completing his BS degree in Personal Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2021, Ben worked for two food delivery companies, where he became fascinated by the possibilities of a circular economy, food equity, and waste reduction. Determined to learn about and work on these issues, he completed his MS in Energy and Sustainability at Northwestern University. Ben was excited to be a waste and data fellow at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and he was proud of the work he completed and connections he made at UMB. Ben assisted via waste audits, tabling events on campus, collecting composting, gathering data for a university-wide sustainability report, and researching and engaging with people on campus to create a report and presentation on UMB’s positive impacts toward environmental justice. Ben loved his time in Baltimore and coworkers within the Office of Sustainability, and he remains hopeful that he can call Baltimore home once again in the future. When he wasn’t in the office, you could find Ben walking his dog at Patterson Park, playing soccer or basketball, finding local shops and restaurants, playing board games, or binging a TV show. You can view a summary of Ben's work here. You can read his Environmental Justice Report and his Presentation

OLIVIA ROSSER, WASTE REDUCTION FELLOW (2023-2024) ▾

Olivia Rosser was a fellow with the Office of Sustainability from April 2023 to May 2024. Olivia was an MSW student at the University of Maryland School of Social Work with a concentration in Behavioral Health. Olivia is interested in reducing barriers to accessing outdoor spaces, the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities, and promoting sustainable practices in urban spaces. While in graduate school experience, Olivia participated in the ECO-Social Work in Action student group and became a sustainability fellow. Olivia assisted with the self-service waste rollouts, the creation of community compost dropoff sites, increased professional learning opportunities about sustainability at UMB, creating educational content for social media, and contributing toward meeting other waste reduction goals. Visit this link for a list of Olivia’s accomplishments during her time as a fellow. Originally from Abingdon, Md., Olivia enjoys the performing arts, gardening, baking, hiking new trails, and exploring the city of Baltimore. 

ALEX SKOWRON, SUSTAINABILITY DATA FELLOW (2023) ▾

Alex Skowron was a sustainability data fellow through the SEI Climate Corps program. Alex studied environmental science and mathematics at Washington and Jefferson College (W&J) in southwestern Pennsylvania. While an undergrad at W&J, Alex sought out numerous out-of-classroom experiences that included assisting with research on the emerald ash borer in the Allegheny National Forest, being a member of the college's sustainability committee, conducting research on increased tourism in national parks, and interning at two Pittsburgh-based environmental firms. Alex is originally from Pittsburgh and nd enjoys spending his free time traveling to new places, listening to music, training for triathlons, and getting outside to explore nature. Visit this link for a snapshot of Alex’s fellowship projects.

LUCY ZHAO, SUSTAINABILITY FELLOW (2022-2023) ▾

Lucy Zhao was a fellow with the Office of Sustainability from September 2022 to April 2023. Lucy was a dual-degree MSW/MPH student at the University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW) and Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Public Health. Throughout her graduate school experience, Lucy worked on JHU’s Environmental Justice Working Group, co-authored an air pollution evaluation manual for low- and middle-income countries, and founded a new student group, ECO-Social Work in Action, at UMSSW. As a sustainability fellow, Lucy assisted in projects such as food waste reduction, policy development, and the creation of an Interprofessional Student Climate Leadership Network. Visit this link for a full list of Lucy’s accomplishments during her time as a fellow. Before joining the UMB community, Lucy served as a Peace Corps volunteer in northern Thailand, where she worked with the local public health department and community schools on zero-waste and OneHealth initiatives. Originally from Prior Lake, Minn., Lucy spends her time outside of school hiking, traveling, practicing tai chi, and making upcycled art.

KIMIA ABTAHI, SUSTAINABILITY FELLOW (2022-2023) ▾

Kimia Abtahi was a fellow with the Office of Sustainability from July 2022 to January 2023 as a rising fourth-year medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). As part of her gap year at the office, Kimia worked on multiple sustainability projects, from green labs to campus bicycling to environmental service opportunities for students. Visit this link for a list of Kimia’s full accomplishments during her time as a fellow. As a third-year medical student, Kimia co-founded the UMSOM chapter of Medical Students for a Sustainable Future and, with others on the executive board, wrote UMSOM’s first Planetary Health Report Card, the first in the state of Maryland. The report card evaluates the school and University’s commitment to planetary health by identifying strengths and areas for improvement in categories such as curriculum, research, and community outreach.