Author: CECE

CECE Director joins civic cohort at TED2026
CECE Director Dana Fisher was invited to join the civic cohort /democracy delegation at TED2026 in Vancouver. During the week, she met with numerous civic leaders to discuss how their collective work to strengthen our democracy. She also participated in a dinner with former Vice President Al Gore.
[Event Recap] Finding Our Way Through Climate Uncertainty with Katharine K. Wilkinson
On April 14th, the School of International Service hosted a thoughtful conversation with Dr. Katharine K. Wilkinson regarding her forthcoming book, Climate Wayfinding. Dr. Wilkinson shared a compassionate approach to navigating the “climate ache” of an uncertain future, suggesting that we find our way by shifting our orientation from a desire to “fix” the world […]
[Office of Sustainability Event] AU Sustainability Symposium
Join the Office of Sustainability and faculty from across American University on the 56th Earth Day for a robust program covering the breadth of sustainability work across the history of the United States. American University’s long commitment to sustainability and our own Airlie Farm’s role in the environmental movement are examples of how sustainability has played […]
CECE Cohort Building: D.C. Environmental Film Festival
On March 25, members of the Certificate of the Environment, Community & Equity (CECE2) cohort, together with faculty and staff of the Center for Environment, Community & Equity (CECE), came together on March 25 for a film screening hosted on campus as part of the D.C. Environmental Film Festival. The event, co-sponsored by CECE and […]
[Article] Stewardship Salons: Sharing biocultural approaches to foster many ways of knowing and [...]
CECE Research Assistant Professor, Natalia C. Piland, is one of seven co-authors of the recently published paper, “Stewardship Salons: Sharing biocultural approaches to foster many ways of knowing and caring for land,” in Earth Stewardship. The paper was led by USDA Northern Research Station Social Science Researcher Lindsay K. Campbell, and included a team of […]
No Kings 3 Turns Out Locals from Across the DMV
The No Kings 3 Day-of-Action mobilized millions of people across the country. Our team collected data through a field survey at a No Kings 3 demonstration in Washington, DC on 3/28/2026. Data were collected as people assembled to rally and march over the Frederick Douglass Bridge in Washington, DC (this event was expected to be […]
CECE Featured in NYT’s ‘No Kings 3’ Protest Coverage
CECE Director Dana R. Fisher was recently featured in two New York Times articles discussing her work related to the “No Kings” Protests. In “A Challenge for ‘No Kings’ Protests, the Third Time Around,” Fisher shares her reflections on the protests and what more can be done. In “5 Takeaways From the ‘No Kings’ Rallies […]
[Article] Wildfire Displacement in the United States: A Qualitative Synthesis of the Social [...]
CECE Director, Dana R. Fisher, and former CECE Post Doctoral Fellow, Julie A. González, recently published a paper about displacement after wildfires using the 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires as a case. Abstract: Wildfire-driven displacement is an urgent and underexamined dimension of social vulnerability in the United States. This study synthesizes findings from a qualitative […]
DataCorps Graduate Fellowship Program Application is Now Open
Applications are now open for CECE’s DataCorps Graduate Fellowship Program for Summer of 2026. The fellowship provides graduate students with an opportunity to learn about activism and engagement centered around disaster response and recovery, as well as gain hands on experience in data collection and evaluation of disaster-related service corps programs and activism. To be eligible […]
Apocalyptic Optimist Episode 2: Why Solidarity Is So Hard — and How We Build It Anyway
In Episode 2 of the Apocalyptic Optimist Podcast, Dana talks with Dr. Rashawn Ray about the realities of building solidarity in a deeply divided moment. From his work with communities-of-color and police departments to learning from the Black Lives Matter movement, Dr. Ray breaks down what works, what doesn’t, and how people can show up as […]
Graduate Certificate in Environment, Community, & Equity (CECE²) Applications Now Open
The Graduate Certificate in Environment, Community, & Equity (CECE²) equips students with knowledge and preparation to address a growing set of challenges at the intersection of environmental protection, community resilience, and equity. Enhance your Master’s degree, skills, and visibility in the job market with one of these certificates in addition to your master’s degree. With careful course planning, it […]
[Co-Sponsored] Impact Preview Event: The Way of the Whale
A special preview screening of The Way of the Whale, followed by a conversation about the power of film to drive change. Director Franco Campos-Lopez and Producer Clate Korsant will speak with Maggie Burnette Stogner, Executive Director of the Center of Environmental Filmmaking at American University, about how storytelling can influence policy, mobilize communities, and inspire action. They will be joined […]