President Granberg’s inaugural address on November 4, 2023 foretold “a revolutionary next step in how our students and faculty conduct and develop innovative research, advocacy, and coursework in sustainability.” That step, the founding of The GWU Alliance for a Sustainable Future was officially announced in GW Today on November 15. The GW Alliance for a Sustainable Future is a big, bold, university-wide initiative that will bring together all members of the GW community who support climate change and sustainability work, forming a powerful strategic alliance of research institutes, academic programs, organizations, and individuals dedicated to the shared mission of combating climate change and promoting healthy and thriving resource systems for all. Under one GW banner, the Alliance will amplify GW’s commitment to climate and sustainability work and increase its global impact.
The Law School is strongly connected to the Alliance. The Alliance is among the signature initiatives implemented by Provost Christopher Bracey, a member of the Law School Faculty. The Equity Institute, founded by Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew, and GW Law’s Environmental & Energy Law program will be core members and active participants in the Alliance.
Donna Attanasio is transitioning from her position as Assistant Dean for Energy Law in the Law School to the Alliance after being named the Managing Director of the new organization. She will work closely with the Executive Director, Frank Sesno, on the formation and launch of the Alliance. The Law School has initiated a search for her successor as Assistant Dean for Energy Law. As part of this transition, the Law School is launching a new fundraising drive to endow the position that Ms. Attanasio is vacating.
It is difficult to leave the Law School and the dynamic energy program we’ve built. But the Alliance is being designed to enhance the influence of the climate change, equity, and sustainability scholarship flowing from the Law School and other schools and Institutes, in part by creating more opportunities for interdisciplinary work and community-based applications. I expect to continue to work with faculty, students, and alumni of the Law School from my new position.
Donna Attanasio
Ms. Attanasio joined the Law School in 2013 to fulfill the Law School’s goal of raising the profile of its energy law program. Over that period, the energy law curriculum was expanded, and the program was enhanced by the formation of the Energy Law Advisory Board, the Energy Connectors alumni affinity group, the Sustainable Energy Initiative, and the addition of several forms of financial support for students, enabled by energy-focused fund-raising. A 2022 internal reorganization recognized energy law as a discipline distinct from environmental law and an equal partner in the Environmental & Energy Law Program, setting it apart from many peer schools and increasing its appeal to students seeking careers in energy law.
