Cora Sutherland

Cora Sutherland is the interim Assistant Director of the Center for Water Policy. She holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oregon School of Law, where she earned top honors and graduated as a member of the Order of the Coif. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Cora is a former Water Policy Specialist and 2023-2024 Sea Grant UW Water Science-Policy Fellow at the Center for Water Policy.

During her law studies, she was a law clerk at the Oregon Public Utilities Commission where she drafted rules regulating new funding opportunities for environmental justice advocates and communities to participate in commission proceedings. She was an Energy Law and Policy Fellow at the University of Oregon. Her legal and policy experience has centered on renewable energy and its many implications for the environment and society.

At the Center for Water Policy, Cora advances the Center’s research mission, fosters staff development, and manages financial planning and grant writing. She is applying her research skills to identify issues and analyze solutions to shape Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basin water policy. Two areas of focus are the emerging regulatory landscape for Great Lakes offshore wind energy and Great Lakes coastal resilience.

In her free time, Cora enjoys live music, cribbage, and spending time with friends and family.