Join us in welcomi
ng Williams-Mystic alum Linsey Haram F08 to the faculty as our new Assistant Professor of Marine Policy! Linsey brings nearly two decades of experience at the intersection of science, policy, and environmental justice. We’re thrilled to welcome her back to the program where her journey began.
Although Linsey grew up in landlocked states, she was drawn to the ocean as a college student. While at Middlebury College, she came to Williams-Mystic to explore the world of oceans and coasts. Her semester as a student, and later her work as a research assistant for Jim Carlton, laid the groundwork for her academic and professional path.
A Carr House resident in Fall 2008, Linsey claims she was “a better dishwasher than chef”—though co-op life left a lasting impact. “My experience in WM coop living inspired me to live in a special interest house focused on sustainable food systems, instead of a dorm, when I returned to Middlebury,” she says.
She recalls the awe of seeing humpback whales in Stellwagen Bank in the waters of a National Marine Sanctuary, calling it a “poetic backdrop” to coursework on the history of whaling and U.S. marine policy. In her WM marine policy class, she explored the controversial proposal to introduce Pacific oysters to the Chesapeake Bay as a replacement for the dwindling native Eastern oysters. “I remember calling a scientist at the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences to understand the pros and cons, a moment that helped me understand that science and policy don’t have to be separate.”
Linsey earned her Ph.D. from the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia, and later completed a research fellowship at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, where she studied human-driven environmental stressors such as non-native species introductions and marine pollution.
Seeing the need for science-based decision-making and science communication in public service, Linsey took her expertise in global change ecology and pivoted to science policy. “My policy experience has taught me that policy is strongest when grounded in scientific evidence and equity,” said Linsey. She has seen that first-hand through her work as a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow and most recently, as a Climate Policy Fellow in the Office of the Chief Scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Her work there has focused on evidence-based policymaking and advancing climate resilience through interdisciplinary research and collaboration.
Linsey and her husband, Michael, are excited to explore New England’s coasts and mountains with their dog, Ruby Blu. Linsey enjoys native plant gardening, creative projects—and a good Halloween costume, as seen in this festive family portrait!