Suzanne Hobbs Baker

Suzanne Hobbs Baker is the Creative Director of the Fastest Path to Zero Initiative at the University of Michigan.  Established in 2019 as a partnership between the University's Energy Institute and the Nuclear Engineering Department, the mission of the Fastest Path is to support communities as they work to reach their zero-emissions climate goals by providing tools, strategies, and direct access to experts.

Previously Baker worked for the Clean Energy Program at the think tank Third Way, the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of International Nuclear Energy Policy and Cooperation, and the Idaho National Laboratory.  Early in her career Baker trained with conceptual artist Mel Chin and worked as an art teacher at a pediatric oncology hospital in Asheville, NC. Her educational background is in ceramic sculpture and public art, which shaped her commitment and approach to community-centered design.