KAREN JOHANNESSON

KAREN JOHANNESSON holds a PhD in Hydrology and Hydrogeology from the University of Nevada in Reno, an M.S. in Geology and Geophysics from Boston College, and a B.S. in Geology from the University of New Hampshire.  She is currently a professor of geochemistry in the School for the Environment at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and the Intercampus Marine Sciences Graduate Program of the University of Massachusetts System.  Previously, Karen was the Cochran Family Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Her research is focused on the biochemical cycling of potentially toxic metals (lanthanides, tungsten, and chromium) and metalloids (arsenic, selenium, and antimony) in the environment and has over twenty years of experience studying and teaching the fundamentals of the water geochemistry.  She is an internationally recognized environmental geochemist.  In 2015 she was awarded the Geochemical Society’s Clair C. Patterson medal for “…innovative breakthrough(s) of fundamental significance in environmental geochemistry…” Karen grew up in New Hampshire but has lived and fished all over the country including Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Virginia, and Louisiana.  She is very excited to be back in New England, where she hopes to make some contributions to improving water quality issues and wild native fish populations. Karen can be reached at Karen.Johannesson@umb.edu