Maine Maritime Academy > Corning School of Ocean Studies > Faculty / Staff > Karen Merritt

Faculty / Staff

Karen Merritt picture

Karen Merritt

Department: Ocean Studies
Title(s):

· Assistant Professor

Phone: 207-326-2707
Email: karen.merritt@mma.edu

Bio

Karen Merritt is an Assistant Professor of Coastal Geology/Geological Oceanography in the Corning School of Ocean Studies. She joined the Department in 2023.

Karen is an Environmental Geologist and Public Health Engineer and has worked on projects characterizing chemical fate and transport in estuarine and coastal environments in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the E.U. Her work includes chemical fate and transport analysis, design and implementation of field sampling and monitoring programs, evaluation of community impacts and industrial histories, particularly with respect to the use of mercury (Hg) in chlor-alkali production, and biogeochemistry, contaminant bioavailability and sediment transport in salt marshes. As a Public Health Engineer, her work also focuses on urban environments and racialized health disparities created and perpetuated by infrastructural frameworks and environmental and chemical exposures.

PhD., Environmental Engineering, University of Maine
MPH, Global and Community Health, University of Massachusetts Amherst
B.A., Geology, Carleton College

Block Schedule:

Hello and Welcome!

I’m an Environmental Geologist and Public Health Engineer and have recently joined the Corning School of Ocean Studies here at Maine Maritime Academy. I teach:

  • OS204 – Physical Geology
  • OS211 – Geological Oceanography
  • CH220 – Ocean Studies Chemistry II
  • OC101 – Introduction to Ocean Science

My teaching interests also include:

  • Contaminant reaction and transport kinetics
  • Assessment of chemical bioavailability
  • Environmental aquatic chemistry
  • Power and inequity in society
  • Spatialization of disparity
  • Saltmarsh dynamics
  • Geomorphology

My scholarship interests include:

  • ABET framework expansion and social and environmental justice in STEM
  • Iterative success criteria and long-term environmental monitoring
  • Contaminated sediment site characterization and remediation
  • Global chlor-alkali distribution and industrial history
  • International research collaborations

New Courses (NC) and Course Modules (CM) I’m currently developing:

  • Coastal Urban Environments and Climate Change (NC)
  • Introduction to Ecological Engineering (NC)
  • Power, Equity and Society (NC)
  • Field Methods in Salt Marsh Assessment (CM)
  • Social Vulnerability Mapping (CM)

My CV is here. Other things I show up for are boats, bikes, bees, books, baking, camping, community gardens, hiking, writing, rivers, social change and social practice art.