Shalanda Helen Baker (born December 24, 1976) is an American legal scholar and U.S. Air Force veteran who was director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the US Department of Energy in the Biden administration from 2022 to 2024.[1][2][3] In 2024, she was appointed as the inaugural Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.[4]
Shalanda Helen Baker | |
|---|---|
 Shalanda H. Baker | |
| Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity United States Department of Energy | |
| In office August 1, 2022 – June 21, 2024 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | James E. Campos |
| Personal details | |
| Education | United States Air Force Academy (BS) Northeastern University School of Law (JD) University of Wisconsin Law School (LLM) |
Early life and education
editBaker received a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the United States Air Force Academy.[5] Baker played in the 1998 Women's Rugby World Cup.[6] She received her Juris Doctor degree from Northeastern University School of Law, and later received her Master of Laws degree from University of Wisconsin Law School.[5][7]
Career
editShe worked as an Air Force officer during the “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” era, and pursued an honorable discharge[8] after her personal situation put her at odds with the policy.[9] She was a professor of law at the University of San Francisco and the University of Hawaii at Manoa,[10] before joining professor of law, professor of public policy and urban affairs at Northeastern University.
She is the co-founder of the Initiative for Energy Justice[11][12] and the author of the book Revolutionary Power: An Activist’s Guide to the Energy Transition.[13]
Biden administration
editOn April 22, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Baker to be the Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the United States Department of Energy.[14] Hearings were held before the Senate Energy Committee on her nomination on June 8, 2021. The committee favorably reported her nomination to the Senate floor on July 22, 2021. Baker's nomination expired at the end of the year and was returned to President Biden on January 3, 2022.[15]
President Biden re-sent her nomination the next day. On March 8, 2022, the committee favorably reported her nomination to the Senate floor.[16] She was confirmed by the Senate on June 7, 2022. Baker stepped down on June 21, 2024.[17]
References
edit- ^ "Why energy justice is a rising priority for policymakers | MIT Sloan". mitsloan.mit.edu. 2024-07-30. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ "'It's Not Inevitable That This Will Be Unjust': A Q&A With Shalanda Baker On Energy Justice". www.wbur.org. 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ "President Biden Announces 12 Key Climate and Infrastructure Administration Nominations". The White House. 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
- ^ "Shalanda Baker to lead academic efforts on sustainability |". record.umich.edu. 2024-06-21. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ a b Shalanda H. Baker CV – William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii
- ^ worldrugby.org. "World Rugby | world.rugby". www.world.rugby. Archived from the original on 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ "Shalanda H. Baker". Energy.gov. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
- ^ "Shalanda H. Baker". Energy.gov. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ Baker, Shalanda H. (2007). "Telling: Living with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"". Journal of Legal Education. 57 (2): 187–194. ISSN 0022-2208. JSTOR 42894019.
- ^ Yan, Matt (2021-01-29). "Northeastern professor Shalanda Baker enters new role in Biden administration". The Huntington News. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ eburlinghaus (2021-01-18). "Shalanda H. Baker". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ "About". Initiative for Energy Justice. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ Baker, Shalanda (14 January 2021). Revolutionary Power: An Activist's Guide to the Energy Transition. Island Press. ISBN 978-1642830675.
- ^ "President Biden Announces 12 Key Climate and Infrastructure Administration Nominations". The White House. 22 April 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ "PN440 — Shalanda H. Baker — Department of Energy 117th Congress (2021-2022)". US Congress. 3 January 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ "PN1550 — Shalanda H. Baker — Department of Energy 117th Congress (2021-2022)". US Congress. 8 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ Anchondo, Carlos (2024-06-21). "DOE energy justice chief heads for the exit". E&E News by POLITICO. Retrieved 2024-07-31.