Background

Biography

Originally from Virginia, where she received her B.S. from The College of William and Mary, Sarah Henkel moved to the west coast in 2000 for graduate school. Sarah has a master’s degree from California State University, Fullerton, where she focused on intertidal kelp ecology and a PhD from the UC Santa Barbara Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Marine Science studying the effects of heat stress on native and invasive kelp species. After finishing at UCSB and before coming to OSU, Sarah worked as a Fellow at the California Ocean Science Trust where she engaged in communicating science to state agencies and decision-makers working on projects related to invasive species, oil platform decommissioning, and marine protected areas.

Education

• PhD, Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Marine Science, Thesis Advisor: Dr. Gretchen Hofmann, University of California - Santa Barbara, 2008.
• M.S., Biological Science, Thesis Advisor: Dr. Steven Murray, California State University - Fullerton, 2003
• B.S., Biology, College of William and Mary

Research

Dr. Sarah Henkel is a benthic ecologist at the Hatfield Marine Science Center and Associate Director of the Pacific Marine Energy Center at Oregon State University. Her research broadly address potential effects of human activities (e.g. marine renewable energy installations, marine reserve designations, coastal development, invasive species, climate change) on seafloor habitats and species.

Teaching

My personal teaching philosophy as well as my research experiences and access to facilities at the Hatfield Marine Science Center help me provide students with a solid academic foundation as well as foster the ethical exploration, civic engagement, social responsibility, and global awareness that today's students need. In my classroom and as an advisor I seek to encourage student inquiry, discovery, and creativity in a collaborative and inclusive setting.

Courses Taught

• BI 353 – Pacific Northwest Coastal Ecosystems
• BI 370 – Ecology
• BI 450 - Marine Algae, Conservation and Policy, Independent Research
• BI (TBD) - Ocean Solutions

College strategic research areas