New Fellow: Dana R. Fisher

10 June 2025

Dana R. Fisher is a dynamic speaker and author who writes about activism, democracy and climate policy. She is the Director of the Center for Environment, Community, & Equity (CECE) and a Professor in the School of International Service at American University.  She is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow with the Governance Studies program at The Brookings Institution and the chair of the Political Sociology section of the American Sociological Association.  Her most recent book is Saving Ourselves:  From Climate Shocks to Climate Action (Columbia University Press 2024). In 2024, she delivered a TED talk about being an apocalyptic optimist that is based on the book.  She has published seven books and more than 80 chapters and peer-reviewed articles, including in Nature, Science Advances, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).  She has presented her work to the US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, federal agencies, foundations, presidential campaigns, and other political organizations. Fisher served as a Contributing Author for Working Group 3 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Review (IPCC AR6) writing about citizen engagement and civic activism.  Her media appearances include ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, PBS Newshour, and various programs on NPR, BBC, and CBC. Her words have appeared in the popular media, including in the Washington Post, Slate, TIME Magazine, Politico, the Nation, Teen Vogue, the Hill, Scientific American, and the American Prospect.  She holds a PhD in sociology from University of Wisconsin-Madison and an AB from Princeton University.

A warm welcome to the Centre, Dana!