DURHAM, N.C. – Nicholas School  has appointed  as associate faculty director of the Duke Corporate Sustainability Initiative (CSI).

Gallagher is assistant professor of the practice of environmental policy and executive director of the Duke Environmental Leadership (DEL) Program.

CSI is a new interdisciplinary initiative designed to examine corporate environmental practices from the perspectives of both business strategy and public policy. It pools the resources and expertise of The Fuqua School of Business, the Nicholas School and the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.

“We are delighted that Deb Gallagher has agreed to take a lead role in CSI for the Nicholas School,” Chameides said. “Deb's experience in running the school's DEL program combined with her previous experience in the private sector will prove to be valuable assets for the initiative.”

Gallagher received her Ph.D. in public policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s 91 in public policy from Harvard University and a bachelor of science in chemical engineering from Northwestern University.

Her research focuses on stakeholder influences on business sustainability behavior, the design of environmental management systems to promote sustainability, and the professionalization of sustainability within firms. Prior to her academic career, she held leadership positions in the public and private sectors, most recently as a director of environment, health and safety for Kraft Foods.

“Part of my role at CSI will be working to increase opportunities for Nicholas School students to be involved in educational and professional development activities at Fuqua, and vice versa. Benefiting from the expertise of both faculties, and examining corporate sustainability from both perspectives, will serve our students well,” Gallagher said. She’ll also work to integrate Nicholas School faculty expertise in environmental sciences, policy and economics into CSI’s collaborative research projects.

Michael Lenox, associate professor of business at Fuqua, serves as CSI’s faculty director. An expert in business strategy as it relates to environmental issues, he holds a secondary appointment as associate professor of environmental policy at the Nicholas School.

Tim Profeta, director of the Nicholas Institute and senior associate dean at the Nicholas School, assists Lenox in leading CSI.