Every year, two Ohio State students are hand-selected by the Sustainability Institute to be featured for the annual Senior Spotlight, highlighting members of the Buckeye community that truly go above and beyond to promote sustainability on campus. This year, Liz Lima, a fourth-year studying environmental public health, and Lizzie Wilson, a fourth-year studying environmental science, have stood out amongst their peers and are being honored for their passion and dedication. The pair shared a little bit about their past, present and future, as well as what sustainability means to them.
Lizzie Wilson Liz Lima
1) What got you interested in sustainability?
LL: Megan Gertzen and Dominique Hadad. I was frustrated with how much waste I saw on campus, so Dominique and one of my best friends and Dom’s roommate Megan, encouraged me to get involved with sustainability in Undergraduate Student Government (USG). From there, I have developed a total passion for emissions reduction, sustainable farming practices and systems-thinking as a tool for problem solving overall.
LW: My family has always been very conscious about our effects on the environment, so I became interested in sustainability at a relatively young age. In high school, I was very active in a club called Students Against Violating the Earth, or SAVE. This club made me more aware of environmental issues, further solidifying my interest in sustainability.
2) What made you want to study your major and what is your plan after graduation?
LL: I studied environmental public health to further my education in social justice issues in the context of our environment and environmental science. I am currently searching for a job in the sustainability field!
LW: I have always been a nature-lover and spent much of my childhood exploring my backyard collecting insects or any other critters I could find. My love for nature developed into a passion for protecting the environment, making my decision to study environmental science at Ohio State an easy one. After I graduate, I will be moving to the state of Delaware to take part in a "Natural Lands" internship at a botanical garden called the Mt. Cuba Center.
3) What about Ohio State made it the right school for you?
LL: I would never have been as empowered anywhere else as I am here. Ohio State integrates students into a lot of its decision-making by granting equal voting power on University Senate, inviting student representatives to sit on committees in the president’s cabinet and being willing to engage and hear out students, even throughout contentious conversations. I am enormously proud of this institution and its advocacy for students, which is honestly why I keep stirring the pot! Ohio State has such potential to be, in my opinion, a quintessential land grant institution, and contributing to that goal overwhelms me with pride.
LW: My older sister, Katie, attended Ohio State several years before me. When I visited her, I fell in love with the campus and the passion that other Buckeyes had for their school. Additionally, the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) offered great programs for my major, so it was a perfect fit!
4) What are you involved with around campus?
LL: I am heavily involved in Undergraduate Student Government. This year, I served as the director of the Sustainability Committee.
LW: In freshmen and sophomore year, I was a member of SUSTAINS, a learning community made up of students also passionate about sustainability. I got involved with Net Impact, a business and sustainability club during my freshman year, and led the club during my sophomore year. In the last three years, I was involved in undergraduate research with Dr. Gabe Karns, and recently finished writing my thesis on management of pollinator habitat along rights-of-way.
5) Has there been anyone who served as a mentor to you? If so, how have they helped you?
LL: The USG Sustainability Committee itself, and specifically its previous director Dominique Hadad. I honestly felt really discouraged by my performance in a lot of my classes and felt like I wasn’t good at what I should excel in. USG unlocked this creative problem-solver and leader I’ve always had within me, but lacked the confidence to invest in. It allowed me to know I was valuable and that my ideas could be more than good, but impactful. It gave me the confidence to consider if medicine and clinical science was what I wanted or if it really satiated for my thirst for impact, which is probably one of the most enriching experiences I’ve had to date.
LW: I have been fortunate to have had many excellent mentors during my time at Ohio State. Gina Jaquet, the leader of SUSTAINS during my freshmen and sophomore year, served as an amazing mentor to me. Dr. Gabe Karns was also an excellent mentor to me as I worked through the process of undergraduate research.
6) What is your favorite non-academic experience at Ohio State?
LL: Watching myself grow! My family and students at Ohio State have supported me to pursue better versions of myself and have encouraged me to do things I never thought possible. I think most notably, I never considered myself a runner, but through some effort and encouragement, I ran a half marathon, and I never thought I could achieve something like that. It was really exciting and worked a muscle (emotionally and physically) I never knew I had!
LW: My favorite non-academic experience at OSU is more of a collection of experiences with my roommates and friends. I met my best friends through SUSTAINS and ended up living with them after we moved off campus. Some of my favorite memories with them were made when we all smushed into one dorm in Drackett to watch a movie or just hang out.
7) How will sustainability impact your future personal and professional life?
LL: My involvement in sustainability has inspired me to pursue a career in the field. Initially I was interested in clinical sciences, but as I learned more and more about how widespread and unequal the catastrophe from the climate is and will continue to be, the call to action was too loud to ignore. My devotion to sustainability is not only an interest in earth systems, but also a fascination with how dependent life, human or otherwise, depends on its function. While daunting at times, the magnitude of this situation has revealed to me the pursuit of justice for life on earth comes by supporting earth, and I find that relationship to be very beautiful.
LW: My passion for the environment and sustainability will stay with me throughout my life. In the future, I hope to work with pollinators and develop sustainable habitat for declining bees and butterflies. In my personal life, I will remain conscious of my environmental impact, and I hope to inspire others to do the same.
The Sustainability Institute wishes the best to Liz and Lizzie in the future and we are excited to see the places they will go.
Story by Aurora Ellis, Student Communications Assistant