Law School

Doctor of Law

Lisa Jackson

 

Lisa Jackson, your lifelong dedication to public service and improving the environment is an inspiration to us all. At a time when science has become a political issue, you have adhered unflinchingly to scientific method and courageously declared scientific consensus as government policy. You have recognized the impact climate change is having on our environment, and have been personally affected as you watched your hometown be devastated by Hurricane Katrina. You have applied your knowledge—both academic and professional—to protecting the health and welfare of the public. Our nation, and our world, has a stake in the success of your work.

 

In January 2009, the United States Senate confirmed your appointment by President Barack Obama as the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. As the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, you oversee a staff of 17,000 employees dedicated to protecting our environment. You also use your position to expand the nation’s environmental conservation to minorities and impoverished communities.

 

You have been honored by Essence Magazine as one of 40 Women Who Have Influenced the World and by Newsweek as one of the “Most Important People in 2010, and named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2010 by Time Magazine. Your academic achievements in the field of chemical engineering and your prominence as the nation’s top environmental regulator inspire millions of women and minorities who might otherwise be discouraged from pursuing careers in fields in which they have so long been under-represented.

 

We honor you for your brilliant academic achievements, dedication to public service and courageous stance in advancing our national response to the crisis of global climate change.