
SEAS Student Center Team
One community for a just and sustainable future
The University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) Student Center facilitates the educational and professional development of undergraduate and graduate students in becoming impactful leaders in the fields of environment and sustainability.
You can find quick links and staff information below.
Current SEAS Graduate Students, if you have General Questions, Advising, or Registration Questions, contact: seas.gradsupport@umich.edu |
Trying to Reach a SEAS Admissions Coach? Admissions and Recruitment contact: seas-admissions@umich.edu |
Current PitE Undergraduate Students, if you have General Questions around Support, contact: environment.program@umich.edu |
Funding/Fellowships for Current SEAS Graduate Students: SEAS-Financial-Aid@umich.edu |
Undergraduate Advising Appointments: Graduate Advising Appointments:
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Master’s Projects Information Contact: seas-projects@umich.edu |
PitE Undergrad and SEAS Grad students, if you have careers general questions, and faculty, if you have job/internship postings, contact: seas-careers@umich.edu |
440 Church Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Admissions and Recruitment

- Oversees SEAS admissions and recruitment activities
- Can address policy and procedure questions regarding admissions/recruitment
- Responds to prospective and admitted student data requests from faculty/organizations

- Provides coaching to prospective and admitted SEAS students as they navigate the transition to graduate school
- Recruits and supports prospective students from a broad diversity of backgrounds
- Supports the SEAS admissions process by ensuring equitable and holistic review of applications

- Leads the graduate application review process
- Develops strategic resources for incoming students
- Serves as an additional admissions contact for students

- Supports the Admissions and Recruitment team and serves as an admissions contact for students
- Assist and supports the Student Development and Support Services Team
- Provides curriculum planning support
Student Development and Support Services

- Manages academic advising for both SEAS MS/MLA students and PitE undergraduate students
- Assists SEAS and PitE student organizations with leadership development and semester programming/events
- Is a resource for our student community as they navigate academic and life choices
- Plans, with our student community's input, social, wellness, and academic/professional events

- Advises undergraduate students regarding concentration and minor requirements
- Advises graduate students in the MS and MLA programs regarding program course requirements and registration processes.
- Reviews and approve PitE major specialization proposals and degree requirement exceptions

- Manages SEAS Fellowships and Grant processes
- Provides one on one funding coaching
- Serves as the resident expert on student funding opportunities and financial aid

- Manages the Student Development and Support Services team supporting advising, curriculum planning, and scholarships/grants
- Serves as a resource for student challenges
- Oversees programming and PitE instructional budget
- Oversees the development of advising resources and programming to improve student access, wellness, and leadership opportunities

- Plans academic events for students (Orientation)
- Course Advising for PitE and SEAS Masters' students
- Good point of contact if you have a question but don't know who to ask

- Advises PhD and Dual Degree students on program requirements and academic progress
- Assists international students with CPT/OPT and I20 extensions
- Assists graduate students with any questions they may have about SEAS, Rackham, or University guidelines and academic processes
- Manages PitE and SEAS Curriculum Planning
Career Development and Experiential Learning

Nate spent well over a decade working as a sustainability practitioner before coming to higher education in the SEAS Student Center in 2018. His experiences working in non-profit advocacy and local government sustainability inform his approach to experiential learning efforts at SEAS. In his current role, Nate helps onboard and develop master's projects for the student Capstone experience along with related external engagement partnerships that augment SEAS curriculum. He also supports and expands employer relations, develops internship partnerships, and major programming with the SEAS Student Center and Career Services.
Nate holds a master's degree from the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan (2009), where he specialized in environmental planning. He has a bachelor of science degree from Michigan State University, in Environmental Studies and Applications from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (2002).
Nate helped direct efforts for the City of Ann Arbor's first Climate Action Plan, along with municipal and community energy and sustainability projects within the City's Systems Planning Unit. He has been a community organizer for water quality and land-use issues in southeast Michigan and South Florida, including as a representative delegate of the Everglades Coalition.
He is pleased and proud to take his varied experiences and apply them to the sweeping mission of SEAS to transform the health of the planet through purposeful engagement with society.

Aubrey began with the University of Michigan in August 2021. She manages employer relations and outreach, leads employer and alumni events, and organizes career treks and workshops for students at SEAS.
Aubrey began her journey in the financial sector, working at Wells Fargo for several years as a regional loan document specialist and then as an office manager in the subsidized housing property management industry, before pursuing her bachelor’s in public communications and culture studies from the University of Michigan – Dearborn. It was there that she realized her passion for helping others and decided to pursue a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Michigan while working in development and fundraising in the nonprofit sector.
She soon advanced, becoming a membership and marketing director at the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit where she supported all aspects of membership at multiple locations in the Detroit area. With a focus on fundraising, Aubrey transitioned to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society before finally landing at what she calls her career home, the University of Michigan.
Aubrey is committed to DEI and has a passion for learning, traveling, hiking, new foods, podcasts, and all things Michigan.

Ari Renda has 8+ years of experience in higher education. In 2019, they received their PhD from University of Michigan after completing their dissertation analyzing narratives of natural resource extraction in Latin America using critical race theory, disability studies, and queer theory.
During their time as a PhD student, they designed and facilitated professional development programming for Rackham Graduate School, provided teaching consultations for GSIs at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, and taught courses in Spanish and Women and Gender Studies. They were the instructor of record for the course Environmental Justice in Latin and Latinx America and co-chaired an environmental justice graduate student symposium.
Before joining SEAS, Ari worked as a career coach at the LSA Opportunity Hub where they offered individual career preparation appointments and facilitated professional development workshops for LSA Students. In this role, they led the administration of the Hub’s Student Advisory Team and created resources for enhancing the center’s accessibility for international students, students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students, and undocumented students.
At SEAS, Ari is the designated career advisor for the undergraduate Program in the Environment students, the Environmental Justice Masters students, and the SEAS PhD students. They draw on their background providing career coaching for LSA students, their experience within the environmental justice field, and their knowledge of the PhD process at U-M to develop meaningful programming and support for their students. In addition to offering 1:1 coaching appointments and facilitating workshops, Ari leads the Careers Student Advisory Board for SEAS and PitE students well as the "Careers with Peers" Advising Program, offering training on career advising and support for undergrad and grad peer advisors.
Ari is also trained as a wellness coach through Wolverine Wellness, certified as a Mental Health First Aid Instructor, and offers trainings and consultations on trauma-informed services and instruction. Through integrating career development theory with wellness coaching practices, Ari aims to offer holistic career coaching that affirms students’ unique strengths, experiences, motivations, and goals.

- Leads and manages Career Services for SEAS
- Executes strategic projects to help students with their overall career goals
- Serves as an additional career services resource for students

Micaela Ellis has 4+ years of higher education experience at IUPUI, Oakland University, and the University of Michigan. At the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), she works 1:1 with students from three specializations: Environmental Policy & Planning, Geospatial Data Sciences, and Ecosystem Science & Management. She is also leading the planning of the Green Career Fair and coordinating career development events for all SEAS students.
Prior to this role, she was a Graduate Career Advisor for the University of Michigan's School of Kinesiology Career Development Center where she coordinated and led career engagement programs. She also led a 6-week group career counseling program to guide students in securing internships.
During her time at Oakland University (OU), she was involved with academic advising, student-athlete development, community engagement, program management, and diversity equity and inclusion events. At OU's Office of Student Success, she managed engagement programs and planning events for transfer students and second-year students. In the athletic department, she planned student-athlete development curriculum, events, and community service initiatives.
Prior to OU, Micaela worked with the women's basketball program at IUPUI where she managed the team's recruiting efforts. She also helped the Jaguars claim the program's first Horizon League regular season and tournament championship. In addition to her role with the women's basketball program, Micaela instructed several undergraduate courses where she helped develop curriculum to enhance students’ personal, educational, and professional growth.
Micaela earned a Master's Degree in Higher Education Leadership from OU, a Master's Degree in Kinesiology from IUPUI, and a Bachelor Degree in Kinesiology from Longwood University. As a four-year student-athlete at Longwood, she was a three-year team captain for the women’s basketball team and served as the team's SAAC representative.

- Provides individualized career counseling to Master's and Dual Master's students in Behavior, Education, and Communication, Sustainability & Development, Sustainable Systems, & Master's in Landscape Architecture specialization tracks
- Creates and facilitates a diverse portfolio of career development workshops and events
- Works closely with the Employer Relations team to engage SEAS alumni and environmental organizations in meaningful student experiences
SEAS Student Center Leadership

- Oversees SEAS admissions and recruitment activities
- Can address policy and procedure questions regarding admissions/recruitment
- Responds to prospective and admitted student data requests from faculty/organizations

- Work with deans, staff, faculty, students, and other partners to strategically identify, develop, implement and manage initiatives and priorities for undergraduate and graduate students
- Leads, supports, and manages all aspects of the Center team
- Addresses serious student challenges

- Leads and manages Career Services for SEAS
- Executes strategic projects to help students with their overall career goals
- Serves as an additional career services resource for students

- Manages the Student Development and Support Services team supporting advising, curriculum planning, and scholarships/grants
- Serves as a resource for student challenges
- Oversees programming and PitE instructional budget
- Oversees the development of advising resources and programming to improve student access, wellness, and leadership opportunities
- Coordinates and develops communications for multiple SEAS projects
- Designs, develops, and implements communications based on SEAS organizational needs.
- Develops materials for SEAS alumni education, engagement, recruitment, and campus visits
- Works with current PitE and SEAS alumni to connect future
Faculty/Lecturer Leadership

- Coordinates a residential learning program for first-year undergraduate students
- Runs the SLE Peer Mentor program and teaches an undergraduate seminar in Sustainability Leadership
- Advisor for the MANRRS student group (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences)

- Teaches multiple undergraduate courses
- Coordinates undergraduate internship and honors program
- Oversees new GSI training and provides teaching support

- Leads the faculty of the undergraduate program
- Oversees undergraduate curricular and co-curricular offerings
- Provides strategic direction for undergraduate program

- Partners with the faculty of the graduate program
- Oversees graduate curricular and the specialization council