Speaker: Dana R. Fisher
Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland

Dana R. Fisher is a Professor in the Sociology Department at the University of Maryland and the President-Elect of the Eastern Sociological Society. Her research focuses on questions related to democracy, civic engagement, activism, and climate politics — most recently studying political elites’ responses to climate change, the emergent US Civilian Climate Corps, and activism around climate, systemic racism, and the American Resistance. Professor Fisher has authored over seventy research papers and book chapters and has written six books. Her seventh book, Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action, is currently under contract with Columba University Press. She 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. In 2021-22, she is a Nonresident Senior Fellow with the Governance Studies program at The Brookings Institution and a Distinguished Visiting Scholar in The John W Kluge Center of the Library of Congress. Her media appearances include CNN, MSNBC, PBS Newshour, and various programs on NPR. Her words have appeared in the popular media, including in the Washington Post, Slate, TIME Magazine, Politico, Business Insider 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.

The Center for Environmental Politics organizes a monthly colloquium series on environmental politics, policy, and governance. This series is made possible by the generous support of Gary and Susan Duck, UW alumni and long-standing benefactors of the department. The Duck Family Colloquium Series is managed by graduate students.