Anneliese (Lisa) Palmer
Hello, there!
As a journalist, communicator, and strategic leader focused on inspiring change through research and storytelling, my work spans roles in journalism, editorial leadership, education and subject matter expertise. I am a Journalist-in-Residence and Senior Research Scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Laxenburg, Austria.
Previously, I held academic appoints as the National Geographic Professor of Science Communication at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and affiliate faculty at GW’s Climate & Health Institute and the Global Food Institute, founded by Chef Jose Andres. I was also a Lecturer in Environmental Communication at Georgetown University. I served my professional society, the Society of Environmental Journalists, as Editorial Director, including SEJ’s annual conference.
An award-winning journalist, I write for publications such as the Nature family of journals, Yale E360, Undark, The Guardian, Nautilus, The New York Times, The New Republic, Ensia, Slate, and many others. I am the author of HOT, HUNGRY PLANET: The Fight to Stop a Global Food Crisis in the Face of Climate Change (St. Martin’s Press; 2017).
My work has been supported through fellowships and awards, including the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center in Bellagio, Italy; and the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., where I conducted research on global food security, resilience, and policies related to sustainable agriculture. From 2015-2020, I was a Senior Fellow and Journalist-in-Residence at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center at the University of Maryland. For 2024-2027, I have been named a Fulbright Specialist for a collaborations in media. I am a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists, the National Association of Science Writers, Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Author’s Guild, and the D.C. Science Writers Association. I received a B.S. and M.S. from Boston University and Simmons College in Boston.
As a journalist, my goals are to uncover a great story, be fearless about fact-finding, and tackle a complex subject with a keen reporter’s sense and a wordsmith’s use of language. One of my editors summed up my work this way: “She lays out a story without pretension yet isn’t afraid to send readers running for a dictionary on occasion.”
I participate in the national and international discourse on science and socio-environmental issues. I write, publish, and speak on the environment, natural resource scarcity, environmental security, climate change, and agriculture sustainability. I develop and lead seminars, contribute to podcasts and digital media, offer analysis, and consult on science communication strategy.
When I’m not at my desk or at my piano, I’m outdoors, exploring Prater Park in Vienna, the Vienna Woods, the Alps, and beyond. I love birdwatching. I’m a lifelong runner, and I like to stay active with sports like rowing, tennis and cycling. I’m an enthusiastic student of classical piano.
