Zwane to Lead Nicholas Institute’s Research and Engagement Strategy Efforts

The Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability at Duke University has named Alix Peterson Zwane as its director of research and engagement strategy, effective April 1.

Zwane was promoted to the newly created position following a national search. She worked for the last year as the inaugural executive in residence with the James E. Rogers Energy Access Project at Duke (EAP), a partnership of the Nicholas Institute, Nicholas School of the Environment, Sanford School of Public Policy and Bass Connections.

In her new position, Zwane will foster collaboration and integration across the institute’s portfolio of research and engagement programs.

“Alix is an exceptional strategic thinker who will play a pivotal role in enhancing the Nicholas Institute’s impact on energy and environmental policy and practice,” said Brian Murray, director of the Nicholas Institute. “Her insights will support institute experts, other renowned Duke scholars and external partners as they bridge actionable research and sustained engagement with decision-makers across a range of sectors.”

“During my time at Duke, I have been consistently impressed by the expertise, passion and commitment shared across the Nicholas Institute’s community,” Zwane said. “I look forward to partnering with colleagues and external stakeholders to advance our shared vision for an energy-abundant and sustainable world.”

Zwane joined EAP in April 2024, bringing more than two decades of experience advancing evidence-based aid and international development at a range of institutions. Over the past year with EAP, her focus has been on developing strategies for sustainable and just energy transitions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Through that work, Zwane has helped Duke faculty and students forge purposeful partnerships with external experts and stakeholders.

Before coming to Duke, Zwane served for more than eight years as the first CEO of the Global Innovation Fund (GIF), a hybrid investment vehicle based in London. Backed by leading bilateral aid agencies, corporations and foundations, GIF accelerates evidence-based innovation in LMICs through early-stage debt and equity investing, as well as grantmaking.

Earlier in her career, Zwane was the first employee and executive director at Evidence Action, a nonprofit that develops service delivery models to scale evidence-based programs. She has also advocated for evidence-based philanthropy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Google.org, and she served on the faculty of the department of agricultural and resource economics at University of California, Berkeley.

Zwane holds a Ph.D. in public policy from Harvard University and is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. She has served appointments as a non-resident fellow at the Center for Global Development and at the Jackson School of Global Affairs at Yale University.