Valerie Berseth is an Assistant Professor of Practice and Extension Agent with Oregon Sea Grant. She joined Oregon Sea Grant in 2024 from Carleton University, where she was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Valerie holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of British Columbia. She has over seven years of experience working with community partners and organizations outside the university on outreach and engagement and has had roles as Project Manager and Research Associate on several large-scale interdisciplinary genomics research projects. Her research interests include the human dimensions of coastal ecosystems, climate adaptation, knowledge production, and perceptions of risk related to novel technologies in conservation and natural resource management.