The Great Lakes chapter expanded into a student body at the University of Michigan in 2019. The University chapter was formed by Maria Gedris and Elizabeth Kirk.

Maria Gedris is a senior at the University of Michigan studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biodiversity and Spanish. She is an aspiring marine biologist, with a passion for shark ecology and conservation. She is the social media manager for the Great Lakes Ocean Coalition, and she helped co-found the IOC college chapter at the University of Michigan. She hopes to help the Inland Ocean Coalition increase their impact in Michigan, and decrease single use plastic in Ann Arbor businesses during her final year.