By Keemia Zhang
David E. Anderson is a Berkeley alum (B.S.‘79, B.A. ‘81), a software engineer, and a generous supporter of the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE). While David’s contributions support CLEE’s general fund, his heart is rooted in the student work-study program. It is this program that allows students to gain vital career experience and professional skills while supporting themselves through school, a mission that feels especially urgent as federal rollbacks threaten public higher education.
In a full-circle moment, Anderson describes how his own professional journey didn’t start in a boardroom, but right here on campus – through the very same work-study opportunities he now helps protect.
“That began my career, actually,” Anderson says. “I grew up very poor in a small town in northern California – Redding. My parents didn’t go to college, but I knew that I wanted to go to college early on. I really wanted to go to high school in Berkeley and work at the Lawrence Hall of Science, but that was, of course, not feasible.”
Anderson initially attended UC Davis for a year, but soon left school to save the money that permitted him to fulfill his dream of attending Berkeley a few years later. He then used the work-study program to put himself through college.
“I was studying to be an energy policy analyst,” Anderson explains. “It’s a lot harder now to put yourself through school, but back then, I was able to do it. I got a job working at the Lawrence Berkeley Lab in the Energy and Buildings Division, and was hired by Art Rosenfield. It was the era of punch cards.”
Anderson learned to write software to modify an environmental program written by Rosenfield, defining regions in California with similar microclimates and setting respective energy standards in the construction of homes.
“I was fortunate to work for Art, who was very charismatic and influential and very smart,” Anderson says. “Under him, I was able to contribute to the creation of energy regulations for the state of California, so I had a sense of accomplishment that I had affected the real world. I wasn’t just studying the theory; I was actually helping to turn those ideas into real-world laws and regulations.”
Last year, with a decades-long established career, Anderson began to consider the eventuality of retirement, and began to seek out organizations that would match his values in order to benefit from his estate, and eventually met with the team at CLEE.
“I saw a segment on TV where one of the people from CLEE’s leadership team was speaking. I contacted them, and then they reached out to me, and I’ve had several conversations [with the team],” Anderson says.
Anderson soon found specific interests in CLEE’s work that aligned with his own; particularly in energy, pollution, environmental regulations, and their impact on communities at different economic levels.
“At CLEE, people work on the creation of environmental regulations and laws, for example. By financially supporting [them], I’m supporting people that do the kinds of things I did,” Anderson points out.
The support and generosity of donors like Anderson have been critical in continuing CLEE’s research, developing our policymaking, and retaining student employment, especially as federal funding terminations create abrupt gaps in CLEE’s research portfolio. By contributing to CLEE’s general fund and recently making a bequest commitment to the center, David is helping build CLEE’s long-term capacity and resilience.
“CLEE is an established institution, and we are here for the long haul,” says Louise Bedsworth, CLEE’s Executive Director. “Having foundational support in the pipeline ensures our sustainability for years to come, allowing us to maintain our public mission across generations. We are more than a policy shop; we are part of a public university that helps people move up the ladder. Seeing David’s trajectory from a work-study student who was actually helping turn ideas into environmental actions, to a donor who now secures that same hands-on opportunity for others is a powerful testament to the kind of impact we strive for every day at CLEE.”
“By contributing, I’m countering these cuts. I’m making a difference, enabling things that I want to happen, that I believe are important.” Anderson explains.”California has been at the forefront of this kind of work for decades. It’s important to continue being at the forefront, to continue to support CLEE.”
By investing in CLEE’s core mission, David is making sure that California stays at the forefront of climate policy, and that the door he walked through forty years ago stays open for the students following in his footsteps.
This article was made possible by support from the Erin Ziegler Fund, an endowment for the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment within Berkeley Law.