Karina Nielsen directs Oregon Sea Grant together with a talented and dedicated team of staff, extension faculty, and educators. She is also a Professor of Practice in the Department of Integrative Biology

Dr. Nielsen brings more than 25 years of experience working as a scientist, educator, and leader in coastal zone stewardship, policy, and public engagement. She is committed to ongoing learning and the advancement of equity and inclusion. Karina was recognized as a fellow of the California Academy of Sciences in 2017 for her outstanding contributions to the natural sciences.

Karina earned her Ph.D. in zoology from Oregon State and a B.S. in biology from Brooklyn College. After receiving her Ph.D., she trained as an NSF International Postdoctoral Fellow at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas (UC Chile Coastal Marine Station) and with the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans at Oregon State. Before returning to Oregon State in her current role, she directed the Estuary & Ocean Science Center at San Francisco State University and worked for 19 years as a professor of biology at Sonoma State and SF State universities.  Karina studied photography and filmmaking at Hampshire College and worked in a variety of roles in the restaurant and catering business in New York City before transitioning to a career in science.

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