As a student, Tyler dedicated much of his time to grassroots campaign work. Tyler led the UIUC Beyond Coal campaign, advocating for the University’s divestment from the coal industry, and Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS), which serves as an umbrella organization for student-led environmental campaigns. He also initiated a start-up voter registration campaign focused on environmental issues and assisted with the development of the University YMCA Bike Share program. Tyler has been working with Prairie Rivers Network’s coal pollution program since 2013.