Sarah Hartman is a doctoral candidate in UC Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management focusing on the Food-Water Nexus. Her research examines the sustainability of food-water systems and the impacts of a globalized food system on regional to global food and water security amidst climate change. Sarah uses biophysical modelling, remote sensing, and machine learning algorithms to link local agricultural production and natural resource use with the global networks they support. She uses science as a tool for examining the little-known and connecting communities.
Sarah is a recipient of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship, the NSF Innovations in Food, Energy and Water Systems (INFEWS) Fellowship, the NSF Digital Transformation of Development (DTOD) Fellowship, and the Harry S Truman Scholarship. She also completed a Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship at the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, where she supported a project to assess geospatial and environmental health data to develop a data strategy for the White House Council on Environmental Quality's Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. Sarah holds a Bachelors of Environmental Engineering from the University of Delaware, with a minor in French.
Before starting at UC Berkeley, Sarah conducted research in Mexico focusing on innovation of locally-made, low-cost groundwater treatment technologies. Additionally, through a Fulbright Scholarship in the Philippines, she characterized urban rainwater quality and partnered with national organizations to study sustainable water resource infrastructure design for small island communities. She has a strong commitment to addressing water challenges through a cultural and societal lens. She also views community engagement in science as an integral component of technological advancement.
Preferred Pronouns: She/Her/Hers