Contact: Kiersten Laramee

413-478-4171
klaramee@bryant.edu

President of SustainUS
Erin O’Neil

Biography: SustainUS President Erin O’Neil

Erin O’Neil is the President of SustainUS, the only environmental club on the Bryant University campus that
is devoted to bringing sustainability and environmental awareness to the Bryant community. The club was
founded in Fall 2017 and had a rough start in its first year. After the spring semester, 2018 the club folded due
to all of its members graduating or studying abroad.

From halfway around the world the club was resurrected by its current president, with the help of Sierra
Mulligan, Bryant University’s Sustainability Consultant. Because of their work, the little club of seven founding
members has grown to include 27 members all of which have a passion for leading their most sustainable life
possible.

O’Neil is moving into her fourth and final semester as President of SustainUS, and although she is
graduating, she has left a legacy. While President, Erin led a petition for plastic waste to be reduced at Bryant
which resulted in the cafés on campus using a new type of plastic cups that cut down on plastic straw waste.
She is currently working with the Bryant Sustainability committee to create a food database through which
Sedox, the campus food provider, can donate their leftover cooked food to local food pantries and charities.

Sustainability has always been a prominent theme in O’Neil’s life. Before there was even a sustainability
club at Bryant, O’Neil was already working on leading her most sustainable life possible. By bulk buying food,
using reusable bags, being vegan, and opting for bars of soap, shampoo, and deodorant in order to cut down
on packaging waste.

In her ideal world, Bryant would be more energy efficient, there would be more recycling, and overall
having the smallest impact possible on the planet.

Under O’Neil’s leadership the Bryant community has ultimately become more sustainable which has made
the world a better and healthier place.