SER Researcher Madeleine Lewis Transitions to Academic Faculty Role

The School of Energy Resources (SER) is maintaining its academic instructional capacity by filling a faculty vacancy as Madeleine Lewis transitions full-time to the academic division as an Associate Lecturer.

 

Lewis is a familiar face to SER students and faculty alike. Her appointment as a full-time Associate Lecturer formalizes her growing presence at SER Academics, where she initially took on a single course alongside her research duties before expanding to a half-time workload last year. In this new capacity, she will focus on core student instruction and curriculum delivery.

 

With expertise in energy, property, contracts and estate law, Lewis will teach seven courses per academic year across SER’s undergraduate major, minor, and certificate programs, bringing high-level legal and policy insight straight into the classroom.

 

Joining SER in 2022, Lewis previously served as a Senior Research Scientist within SER’s Jurisprudence of Underground Law and Energy research group, and in the Center for Energy Regulation and Policy Analysis. Her work focused on complex legal frameworks surrounding subsurface resources, environmental regulation, and energy policy. She has published extensively in top legal journals, contributing critical analysis to energy law discussions across the region and nation.

 

Additionally, Lewis continues to serve as the Principal Investigator on a high-profile grant project funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Her leadership on the Sloan project has showcased her ability to spearhead interdisciplinary research addressing pressing challenges in modern energy systems.

 

Lewis’s background as a top-tier researcher remains a tremendous asset for SER’s academic programs. By bridging the gap between exemplary legal research and practical coursework, she will equip SER students with applied knowledge of energy regulation, policy, and resource management as they prepare to enter the workforce.

 

“Energy law and policy isn’t just theory; it affects real communities and real industries,” says Lewis. “I love pushing our students hard and setting high standards, but my door is always open. My goal is to make sure every single student leaves my class confident, challenged, and ready to tackle the real world.”

 

A native of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Lewis attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., for her undergraduate degree, graduating cum laude in sociology and anthropology before attending the University of Wyoming for her postgraduate education. She earned her M.A. in Environment and Natural Resources from the UW Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources concurrently while earning her law degree from the UW College of Law. While in law school, she was honored as the 2018/2019 Salt Creek Energy Excellence Scholar in recognition of her academic achievement and a commitment to the study and practice of energy law.

 

Following graduation, Lewis clerked for the Honorable Nancy Freudenthal in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming before joining the regionally based law firm, Crowley Fleck PLLP. While in private practice, Lewis primarily focused on oil and gas litigation, title work, commercial litigation, estate administration, and estate planning.

 

“Maddie has spent years proving she’s a standout educator who balances rigorous coursework with incredible student support,” says SER Senior Assistant Dean Kami Danaei. “She brings deep legal expertise into the classroom, but more importantly, she brings a genuine enthusiasm for teaching that’s completely contagious. We are so grateful to have her serving in a much larger capacity on our academic team—as are the students!”