Cria Kay is a Chicago-based sustainability professional, urban ecologist, and water activist. Cria is the Program Administrator for Northwestern University’s Campus Sustainability Program, sustainNU. In this role, she provides direction and thought leadership for initiatives that further the University’s sustainability strategy.
Cria has expertise in urban wildlife ecology, water affordability, and environmental justice. Before joining Northwestern, Cria worked with Lincoln Park Zoo’s Urban Wildlife Information Network, where she managed an international collaborative of urban ecologists. Cria is particularly interested in how race, class, and gender intersect with environmental policy, planning, and design.
Originally from central Ohio, Cria grew her roots in the Midwest, earning a B.A. in Environmental Studies, Comparative American Studies, and Geology from Oberlin College and an M.S. in Environmental Justice and Environmental Informatics from the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability. In her free time, Cria volunteers with South Siders Organized for Unity and Liberation (SOUL), fighting for water security in the Greater Chicago area, kayaks any chance she gets, and is often found crafting.