Former officials from the Biden Department of Energy (DOE) have transitioned into prominent academic roles at major universities. Shalanda Baker, who was the director of the DOE's Office of Energy Justice and Equity, has taken on a new role as Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate at the University of Michigan. Her move followed communications with Susan Fancy, Associate Director at the university’s Global CO2 Initiative, who sought DOE support for research in clean energy and carbon management.
David Turk, former deputy secretary at the DOE, has joined Columbia University as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy. Turk had been in contact with Jason Bordoff, Founding Director of the center, during Columbia's pursuit of a $68 million grant from the DOE’s Office of Science for AI research. This grant was awarded in September 2024.
Roderick Law from the Functional Government Initiative commented on these transitions: "FGI and others have documented the ever-spinning revolving door between the Biden administration’s climate and environment focused agencies and offices and outside special interest activist groups. It appears there was also a door to elite academia."
