Sarah Donelan joins the University of Rhode Island as an Assistant Professor of Biology, bringing her research on marine invertebrates, environmental stress and the ways past experiences can shape organisms across their lifetimes—and even across generations.

A native of Andover, Massachusetts, Dr. Donelan developed an early fascination with the New England coast and its marine life through childhood tidepooling. She earned her undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University and her Ph.D. from Northeastern University before completing postdoctoral research at the Smithsonian. Most recently, she spent three years as a professor at UMass Dartmouth.

Q. What are you exploring in your research? 
I love working at the interface of basic and applied research. For example, our work on oysters answers basic biological questions about how organisms are affected by their past environments. This information can be harnessed by oyster growers and hatcheries to develop oysters that are more robust when exposed to stress. 

How would you explain your research to someone unfamiliar with the field?
My lab looks at how past experiences affect marine animals like oysters and snails. These past experiences can be when they were young or even be their parent’s experiences. We are especially interested in how stressful experiences impact how these organisms grow, survive, and reproduce. 

What will you be teaching at URI?
I’m excited to both teach and conduct research at URI. I’m hoping to teach courses that bring students out to explore the coast of our Ocean State.

What are you reading, watching, or listening to lately (academic or otherwise)? 
I love watching the Tour de France in July and am looking forward to Survivor starting again in the fall.