On July 1, 2023, Dana R. Fisher will join American University as a professor in the School of International Service and the director of the university’s Center for Environment, Community, and Equity. Her research focuses on questions related to democracy, civic engagement, activism, and climate politics. Most recently, she’s been studying political elites' responses to climate change; how federal service corps programs are working to integrate climate and diversity, equity, and inclusion into their efforts; and activism around climate, systemic racism, and the American Resistance. Professor Fisher has authored more than 75 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 Columbia University Press.

Fisher currently serves as the president of the Eastern Sociological Society. 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. She is a nonresident senior fellow with the Governance Studies program at The Brookings Institution. Her media appearances include ABC, CNN, MSNBC, PBS Newshour, and various programs on NPR, BBC, and CBC. Her words have appeared in the Washington Post, Slate, TIME, Politico, the Nation, and the American Prospect. Fisher holds a PhD 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 Environment, Community, and Equity (CECE) is American University’s umbrella for cross-disciplinary work on ecology, equity, and community engagement. Building on the university’s long-standing strengths in social justice and environmental protection, CECE is forging new paths for addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges. CECE officially launched in October 2022.