Marine Biology student, Sarah Hensley, chosen as College of the Environment Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist
Each year, the UW College of the Environment celebrates outstanding students and staff with achievement awards. This year’s Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist has been named as Sarah Hensley, a Marine Biology student in her senior year.
“I am extremely honored to be receiving this incredible award, and want to thank all of my mentors, professors and College of the Environment staff that have supported me up to this point,” said Sarah Hensley. “I would not be who I am, or where I am today if it were not for them. This award is truly a testament to the incredible amounts of dedication to teaching, guiding and mentoring that all of these people have played a role in as in my life, and I want to recognize that my energy to pursue this field of science and engage with my community to the extent that I do comes from the deep-rooted love for this field that my mentors have instilled in me, and the encouragement that I have received from them throughout the process.”
Chosen for her outstanding academic achievement, engagement in undergraduate research, and deep involvement in service, Sarah is majoring in Marine Biology with a minor in Quantitative Science. Earning the Dean’s List honors for 8 out of 10 of her completed quarters at the time of her nomination, Sarah’s Friday Harbor Labs (FHL) faculty instructor, Dr. Matthew Baker, describes her as: “One of the most capable and talented students I have worked with in 15 years of teaching at the University of Washington.”
When asked about standout research experiences during her time at UW, Sarah said “One was while visiting our marine lab station, Friday Harbor Laboratories. As I entered college as a freshman, I got to head to FHL during my very first quarter. By week two I was conducting observational studies with my first key mentor, Dr. Deborah Giles, looking out for killer whales and other marine mammals. I remember thinking to myself: this is what it means to be a marine biologist.”
“I was encouraged by Giles to pursue each and every research opportunity I could, which included numerous internships with NOAA, and eventually ending up back at FHL in my final year. I was conducting my own research, helping lead research from our research vessels, collecting samples, and plugging and chugging away at models for my work alongside another one of my very inspirational mentors, Dr. Matt Baker,” Sarah added. “Reflecting on this experience, it definitely shows me the full growth that I have made during my undergrad degree. The sheer personal and professional development that I have had has been more than I could have ever envisioned for myself. It is thanks to this initial inspiration and the support from my mentors that really drove that passion inside me home.”
Also a member of the Identity, Belonging, and Inquiry in Science (IBIS) Program based in the College of the Environment, a program that seeks to engage students from diverse backgrounds in undergraduate research, Sarah worked closely with SAFS Professor Dr. Mark Scheuerell and PhD student Markus Min in the Applied Ecology Lab (AEL). Sarah carried out a pilot analysis and analyzed time series data from the California Current to understand the importance of species interactions and environmental forcing in structuring the ecological community.
“My participation in the IBIS program, and my involvement with the Applied Ecology Lab, was another standout research experience for me,” Sarah said. “I wanted to learn more about coding and modeling, and Markus took me right in and set me up with a model-based research project that freshman me could have only dreamed of getting to work on. Dr. Scheuerell and the rest of the Applied Ecology Lab made me feel like I truly belonged in the science and quantitative ecology space. This one and a half year experience, two quarters of which were through the IBIS program, really made UW and the Marine Biology program my home, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.” Since her IBIS program participation, Sarah has continued working in the Applied Ecology Lab on modeling fish consumption in the Northwest Atlantic.
Sarah’s service to the UW community has been extensive, from engaging in activities with her Marine Biology major to representing the College of the Environment and beyond. She has engaged with NOAA, volunteered with the Cascadia Research Collective, and has served as an Undergraduate Ambassador for the College of the Environment for two years. Recently featured in a KING 5 News segment on the growth in undergraduates pursuing environmentally-related majors, Sarah has provided an exemplary example of undergraduate opportunities in environmentally-related issues at UW.
“I am so grateful to be elected to represent this program and the College of the Environment. Both have provided me with opportunities to establish myself in my career and research, and ultimately shape me on a personal and professional level,” Sarah said. “I did not grow up with science being a career field in my family, or college really at all. Yet, I now walk out having partaken in over five different research projects, leading my own research and working on my first publication. I hope that this inspires students that if there is a true passion in your subject, hard work, dedication and the establishment of an incredible support system can get you to where you want to be and beyond.”
“This program really allows you to explore so many incredible opportunities, and enables you to be very competitive in the skills you acquire, and so my advice to other students is to lean into that,” Sarah added. “Follow every opportunity in which you could learn a new skill, build a new connection, try something new. Be willing to take that first step in the marathon, and value the journey, not just the finish line. And don’t forget to pursue your work not just from your brain, but from the heart as your passion.”
“During her time in the Marine Biology major, Sarah has proved herself as an exceptional student,” said Kerry Naish, Director of the UW Marine Biology Program. “She has been deeply engaged in all aspects of her professional life at UW, the College of the Environment, her chosen major, and her broader community. The program has been deeply enriched by her involvement and we are incredibly proud of Sarah’s achievement. We wish Sarah the very best, and are very much looking forward to what she does next”.
