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Cara Carmichael is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Sustainability at the °µÍø½ûÇø, 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 CU Boulder’s broader mission to advance sustainability leadership locally and globally.

Prior to joining CU Boulder, 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’s 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 °µÍø½ûÇø. Outside of work, she enjoys ice hockey, skiing, camping, and exploring Colorado’s mountains with her family.