Dana R. Fisher is a nonresident senior fellow with the Governance Studies program at The Brookings Institution. She is also the director of the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity at American University and a professor in the School of International Service.
Her research focuses on questions related to democracy, activism, and climate policy. Her current projects include evaluating the ways that nationally coordinated service corps programs are expanding their climate-related work, studying responses to climate change by political elites in the US, and assessing the effects of activism and protest around a range of issues. Professor Fisher has authored over 80 research papers and book chapters and has written seven books. Her most recent book is “Saving Ourselves: from Climate Shocks to Climate Action” (Columbia University Press 2024). 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.
Her media appearances include ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, PBS Newshour, and various programs on NPR and the BBC. Her work has appeared in media outlets including the Washington Post, TIME Magazine, Politico, the Nation, the American Prospect, and Teen Vogue. 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.
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Current Positions
- Nonresident Senior Fellow, Governance Studies; The Brookings Institution
- Director, Center for Environment, Community, and Equity
- Professor, School of International Service, American University
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Past Positions
- Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland-College Park
- Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Kluge Center at the Library of Congress
- Visiting Professor, Centre for Sustainability Studies; Lund University
- Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland-College Park
- Guest Professor, Department of Politics and Management; University of Konstanz
- Associate Professor of Sociology, Columbia University
- Visiting Professor, Centre des Amériques; Sciences-Po
- Assistant Professor of Sociology, Columbia University
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Education
- Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- M.S. in Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- A.B. in East Asian Studies/Environmental Studies, Princeton University
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