CaraÌýCarmichael
- Associate Vice Chancellor for Sustainability

Cara Carmichael is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Sustainability at the ÀÏ¾ÅÆ·²è, where she leads efforts to integrate sustainability, climate action, and decarbonization across research, education, campus operations and community engagement. Her work focuses on aligning institutional strategy with ÀÏ¾ÅÆ·²è broader mission to advance sustainability leadership locally and globally.
Prior to joining ÀÏ¾ÅÆ·²è, Cara served as the Director for Federal Buildings at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), where she helped implement the Biden-Harris Administration Federal Sustainability Plan and accelerate the transition to net-zero emissions across the federal building portfolio. Prior to CEQ, Cara spent nearly two decades at RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute), where she was a Principal in the Carbon-Free Buildings Program and led major initiatives to drive market transformation and scale decarbonization across the built environment.
Cara is a proud Colorado native and holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering (Building Systems) from the ÀÏ¾ÅÆ·²è. Outside of work, she enjoys ice hockey, skiing, camping, and exploring Colorado mountains with her family.