Sara E. Harris

Dr. Sara E. Harris serves as Professor of Teaching in the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and Associate Dean Academic in the Faculty of Science at the University of British Columbia. After earning her PhD in Oceanography from Oregon State University in 1998, she spent seven years as chief scientist at Sea Education Association in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where she combined hands-on oceanographic research with undergraduate education. Her career shifted focus to science education when she joined UBC, where she now studies evidence-based teaching methods and climate science education. Her contributions to education earned her the prestigious 3M National Teaching Fellowship in 2015, recognizing her innovative work including the development of MOOCs like "Climate Change: The Science" on edX. She has authored significant publications including "Understanding Climate Change: Science, Policy, and Practice" and pioneered research in how people learn climate science. Her teaching excellence has been recognized with multiple awards including the Killam Teaching Prize and the Undergraduate Instructor of the Year Award, while her research spans paleoceanography, climate science education, and the development of new teaching methodologies.