Ann Carlson

Ann Carlson grew up in Southern California in the 1960s and 70s during its smoggiest decades. She remembers stinging eyes, burning lungs, and shortness of breath as a regular part of her childhood. Carlson has spent most of her professional life in Los Angeles and has witnessed the remarkable transformation of L.A.'s air quality from filthy, dangerous and brown to much, much cleaner, bluer, and healthier today. She has spent most of the past thirty years as a professor at UCLA School of Law, teaching generations of law students and working on air pollution and climate change issues. President Biden appointed her to serve at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from 2021-2024, where she led efforts to improve vehicle safety and to toughen fuel economy standards to make cars cleaner and more efficient. She continues her work today as a law professor.