Dana R. Fisher

Dana R. Fisher is the director of the Center for Environment, Community, & Equity at American University and a professor in the School of International Service. She is also a nonresident senior fellow with the Governance Studies program at The Brookings Institution.

Her research focuses on questions related to democracy, activism, and climate politics. Recent projects include a study of responses to climate change by political elites in the US, assessment of the ways that national Service Corps programs are supporting communities as they respond to and recover from disaster and build resilience, and activism and protest around a range of issues. Professor Fisher has authored over 80 research papers and book chapters and has published seven books. Her most recent book, Saving Ourselves: from Climate Shocks to Climate Action, was published by Columbia University Press in 2024 (see here TED Talk on the book here). She served as 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.

Fisher’s media appearances include ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, PBS Newshour, and various programs on NPR, BBC, and CBC. Her work has appeared in media outlets including the Washington Post, TIME Magazine, Politico, the Nation, Teen Vogue, Rolling Stone, Scientific American, and the American Prospect. Fisher holds a Ph.D. and Master of Science degree from the Department of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her undergraduate degree is in East Asian Studies and Environmental Studies from Princeton University.

For more details, see Professor Fisher’s personal website.