Kristen SharpE
USA
Zooplankton Master’s Student
Kristen Sharpe is a third-year masters student at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). Originally from central New York, she attended the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry where she earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Biological Applications of Environmental Studies. She moved to Virginia shortly after graduating and began working as a marine educator at the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve at VIMS. For nearly five years, she helped to educate tens of thousands of students, teachers, and members of the general public on the important research and work being done at VIMS and beyond. As a graduate student, she now studies zooplankton (animals that can not swim against a current) in the York River estuary, Virginia and the Sargasso Sea off Bermuda. In addition to research, Kristen serves as co-President of the Graduate Student Association (GSA), on multiple student committees, and has continued to pursue her passion for education by participating in various education and outreach events at VIMS. Her personal interests include spending time outside (kayaking, canoeing, hiking, fishing, crabbing, swimming), listening to and playing music, cooking and baking, painting, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.