Sarah H. Hirschey (she/her) is an environmental engineering M.S. student at UC Davis studying the effects of climate mediated land disturbances on source water quality in California. She completed her undergraduate degree in Earth & Environmental Science at Wesleyan University, with a focus in geochemistry and paleoclimatology in 2015. After beginning her career as a project management professional at marketing agencies in New York City, her passion for environmental justice and scientific problem solving inspired a transition to the field of civil and environmental engineering.

As a member of the Peña Environmental Biogeochemistry Research Group, Sarah is conducting data analysis in R to determine the effects of the 2021 Caldor Fire on water quality in the Cosumnes Watershed. In her future work, she aims to develop adaptive strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on infrastructure, in coordination with the natural environment.