
Climate and Sustainability
As the climate changes due to human activities, our projects are focused on how society can adapt to live in a manner that has less of an impact on the natural environment.
WCL Students Visit the Federal Environmental Regulation Commission
On Tuesday March 26, The Federal Environmental Regulation Commission (FERC) hosted students from the Program on Environmental and Energy Law at the American University Washington College of Law (WCL). The students were greeted by a panel of 4 alumni from WCL whose careers have been significantly shaped by the agency. FERC is an independent federal […]Queer Brown Vegan Event
On March 7, CECE was thrilled to welcome Isaias Hernandez to AU for an informal discussion with students and the broader community. Isaias is a writer, influencer, educator, and activist who works on deconstructing complex environmental issues, while centering diversity and authenticity, and is the founder of Queer Brown Vegan. The center point of this […]An Untapped Opportunity for DC’s Media: Connecting the gaps in the climate conversation
Years of heavy industry pollution mean DC’s rivers aren’t safe for fishing or swimming. Many local media articles carry updates on the health of the water, but, as a study of local media my class carried out indicates, journalists may not be linking stories about related topics like river pollution, trash pickup, and more, to […]On the Social Side of the Climate Crisis
On Thursday, The Eastern Sociological Society (ESS) kicked off their annual conference at SIS, co-sponsored by CECE, American Institutes for Research, Deloitte, the MacArthur Foundation, Science Advances, AU’s School of International Service, The Department of Environment Development and Health, and the Hewlett Foundation. This was a significant landmark for ESS, because under the leadership of […]Book Talk: China’s Environmental Challenges, 3rd Edition
On February 27, the AU community gathered to celebrate the release of the third edition of SIS professor and China specialist, Dr. Judith (Judy) Shapiro’s book, “China’s Environmental Challenges.” This book is yet another chapter in Judy’s lifelong work of narrating Chinese politics and environmental governance amidst the country’s history of explosive economic development and […]AU Site Tour at the Environmental Protection Agency
On Friday February 9th, students from the Washington College of Law (WCL) and the School of International Service (SIS) had the opportunity to visit the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to talk with SIS/WCL alumni, learn about a career in federal service, and to discuss the NETI […]Article: Busting Myths and Calls to Action – A Round-Up of Environmental Books
Saving Ourselves, by CECE Director Dana Fisher was discussed as part of a review of a “roundup of environmental books” in the Financial Times on February 12th. See the full review here.In the News: Apocalyptic Optimism Could Be the Antidote for Climate Fatalism
TIME excerpts CECE Director, Dana R. Fisher’s new book Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action. For the full excerpt click hereCOP28 DC Climate Hub
On Thursday, December 7th, CECE, The School of International Service, and We Don’t Have Time cohosted the COP28 DC Climate Hub. Policymakers, climate activists, journalists, and academic experts came together to discuss what is needed to ensure a just and equitable climate transition. This multi-panel event included: Ambassadors Up-Close: COP28 Reflections, The Power of Storytelling, […]COP28 Around American University
As all eyes turn towards Dubai for the 28th Conference of the Parties to discuss climate change on a global scale, we are taking this opportunity to look inward to the work happening across American University’s campus related to climate policymaking and COP28. CECE will also be co-hosting a live event with We Don’t Have […]Article: How Effective are Climate Protests at Swaying Policy—and what could make a difference
Nature has just published “How Effective are Climate Protests at Swaying Policy—and what could make a difference.” By CECE Director Dana R. Fisher, Oscar Berglund, and Colin J. Davis. The piece integrates Fisher’s research on climate protests and the growing radical flank in climate activism with Berglund and Davis’ work on public responses to climate action, which […]CECE Announces Inaugural Faculty Research Incubator Grants
This fall, the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity commenced the CECE Faculty Research Incubator Program: a new funding program designed to launch exciting, interdisciplinary work on the environment conducted by faculty teams from programs across campus. By the end of the academic year, teams are expected to have built out their projects, piloted the […]
Climate and Sustainability Experts

Abeer Y Al-Eryani
Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Environment, Community, & Equity

Robert Albro
Research Associate Professor, Center for Latin American and Latino Studies

Michael Alonzo
Assistant Professor, Environmental Science

Julie A. Anderson
Associate Program Director, Masters of Science in Sustainability Management (MSSM)

Valentina Aquila
Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Science

Barbara Balestra
Director, Environmental Sciences Teaching Laboratory, Micro-Lab.

David Bartlett
Senior Professorial Lecturer, Department of Management

Kristine Beran
Professorial Lecturer, Department of Environmental Science

Robin Broad
Research Professor, Department of Environment, Development, and Health

Jenn Brown
Program Manager, Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy

Claire Brunel
Associate Professor, Department of Politics Economics and Governance

Anny Cárdenas
Assistant Professor, Biology

Ernesto Castañeda
Director, Center for Latin American and Latino Studies

C. Anne Claus
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology

Ken Conca
Professor, Department of Environment, Development, and Health

Nicole Darnall
Arlene R. and Robert P. Kogod Eminent Scholar Chair in Sustainability

Parthiban David
Senior Associate Dean, Kogod School of Business

Rosalind Donald
Assistant Professor, Public Communication

Todd Eisenstadt
Research Director, Center for Environmental Policy

Larry Engel
Associate Director Center for Environmental Filmmaking

Dana R. Fisher
Director, Center for Environment, Community, & Equity

Scott Freeman
Senior Lecturer, Department of Environment, Development, and Health

Julie A. Gonzalez
Environmental Justice Postdoctoral Fellow, CECE

Garrett Graddy-Lovelace
Provost Associate Professor, Department of Environment, Development, and Health

Edward Guetti
Professorial Lecturer, Department of Philosophy and Religion

Matthew Hartings
Associate Professor, Chemistry

David Hunter
Professor of Law, WCL Program on Environmental and Energy Law

Sarah Iverson
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology

W. Chris Jayko
Assistant Director, Center for Environment, Community, & Equity

Kyra Jones
Operations Manager

Victoria Kiechel
Senior Professorial Lecturer, Department of Environment, Development, and Health

Chelsea Koch
Assistant Professor, Arctic Ecogeochemistry Lab/Department of Environmental Science Assistant Professor, Arctic Ecogeochemistry Lab/Department of Environmental Science

Megan Litke
Director of Sustainability, Office of Sustainability

Maya Livio
Assistant Professor, Climate, Environmental Justice, Media and Communication

Stephen MacAvoy
Associate Professor, Department of Biology

Magnolia Mead
CECE Fellow & Research Assistant

Sara Nawaz
Director of Research, Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal

Simon Nicholson
Co-Director of the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy

Jennifer Oetzel
Research Professor, Department of Management

Marcos A. Orellana
Director, Global Toxics and Human Rights Project

Angela Pashayan
Professorial Lecturer, Department of Environment, Development, and Health

Claudia Persico
Associate Professor, Public Administration and Policy

Natalia Piland
CECE Collaborating Researcher, Interdisciplinary Scientist

Malini Ranganathan
Associate Professor, Department of Environment, Development, and Health

Jesse Ribot
Professor, Department of Environment, Development, and Health

Thurka Sangaramoorthy
Professor, Department of Anthropology

Judith Shapiro
Director of Graduate Studies, Dept of Environment Development and Health

Garima Sharma
Assistant Professor, Department of Management

Sauleh Siddiqui
Professor, Environmental Science

William John Snape, III
Professor and Director, WCL Program on Environmental and Energy Law

Stacey Snelling
Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities Lab

Maggie B. Stogner
Executive Director, Center For Environmental Filmmaking

David J. Vázquez
Associate Professor, Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies

Rachel Weiss
Program Manager, Center for Environment, Community, & Equity

Paul Yoo
Assistant Professor, Finance