CORVALLIS, Ore. — Karina Nielsen, a marine science leader at San Francisco State University and an Oregon State University alumna, has been named director of Oregon Sea Grant. The OSU-based program supports marine science, education and outreach.
“Oregon Sea Grant’s research and outreach have significant impacts on the lives and livelihoods of Oregonians. Karina Nielsen is an experienced leader with a strong background in research, policy and outreach and deep knowledge of the issues Oregon is facing.”
Nielsen, who earned a doctorate in zoology from Oregon State in 1998, will begin her new role on June 1. She will oversee a staff of about 40, succeeding Shelby Walker, who was appointed to a senior leadership position with the National Science Foundation in September.
Nielsen is a biology professor at San Francisco State and executive director of the university’s Estuary and Ocean Science Center. The center is dedicated to enhancing public engagement with marine science and developing solutions to environmental challenges facing coastal communities.
“Oregon Sea Grant’s research and outreach have significant impacts on the lives and livelihoods of Oregonians,” said Irem Tumer, Oregon State’s vice president for research. “Karina Nielsen is an experienced leader with a strong background in research, policy and outreach and deep knowledge of the issues Oregon is facing.”
A marine ecologist, Nielsen studies the ecology, oceanography and biogeochemistry of ecosystems at the edge of the sea. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, California Sea Grant, the California Ocean Protection Council and the California State Coastal Conservancy. Her research has been published in journals including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature and Ecology Letters.
Nielsen has served as a science adviser to California’s Ocean Protection Council since 2008 and as a member of the governing council of the Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System since 2010. In 2017, she was named a fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, a group of more than 400 scientists recognized for significant contributions in natural science fields.
At San Francisco State, Nielsen helped create a master’s program in interdisciplinary marine and estuarine sciences. Before joining the university in 2014, she was a biology professor at Sonoma State University for 11 years.
OSU connections
At Oregon State, Nielsen earned her doctoral degree while working in the lab of Jane Lubchenco and Bruce Menge. She studied the influence of nutrients, herbivores and wave exposure on the structure of tidepools.
From 1998 to 2000, she trained as a postdoctoral fellow at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile’s Coastal Marine Research Station. From 2000 to 2003, she continued postdoctoral research with the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans at Oregon State. She earned her undergraduate degree from Brooklyn College.
Looking ahead at Oregon Sea Grant
Nielsen said she looks forward to working with coastal communities and learning about the issues that matter to them.
“I am interested in the issues confronting natural resource managers, fishermen, Indigenous tribes, conservationists, and others; and collaborating to develop and support evidence-based solutions that are equitable, practical and sustainable,” she said. “The Oregon coast is blessed with bountiful natural resources and extraordinary beauty, and we want to sustain these for future generations.”
She added that she is committed to helping communities adapt to new realities, including climate change and related phenomena such as ocean acidification, low oxygen in the ocean and shifting species distribution. She also plans to focus on opportunities and challenges linked to renewable marine energy.
Nielsen said she will continue Oregon Sea Grant’s work advancing justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. Efforts include recruiting a diverse applicant pool for fellowships and internships, developing inclusive experiences for students and mentors, and helping diversify the workforce.
She plans to divide her time between Oregon State’s campus in Corvallis and the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, where Oregon Sea Grant operates K-12 marine education programs and a public education facility known as the Visitor Center.
Dave Hansen has served as interim director of Oregon Sea Grant since 2021.
Previously titled OSU alumna, leader of California marine science center to lead Oregon Sea Grant
