Sarah Finkelstein

Dr. Sarah Finkelstein is a Full Professor and Chair of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Arts and Science. She is cross-appointed to the Department of Geography, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences (UTSC), and School of the Environment, with research affiliations at the Royal Ontario Museum and University of Toronto Centre for Global Change Science.

• PhD (University of Toronto, 2004)
• MPhil (University of Cambridge, 1999)
• BA (Princeton University, 1998)

Research Focus: Her work centers on paleoenvironmental record analysis for climate history and ecological response to environmental change. Key themes include:

• Carbon accumulation in boreal/sub-arctic peatlands
• Hydroclimatic controls on marsh/swamp vegetation
• Paleoecology applications for natural climate solutions
• Anthropocene stratigraphic markers in sediment records
• Microplastic atmospheric transport to Arctic regions

Publication Trends: Recent articles emphasize carbon dynamics in peatlands, microplastic pollution patterns, and Holocene climate reconstructions. Her methodological expertise spans sediment core analysis, testate amoeba paleoindicators, and geospatial modeling of carbon stocks.

• 2019 Doug Wilcox Award for Wetlands editorial work
• NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplement (2017-2020)
• 2013-2015 President of Canadian Quaternary Association
• NSERC Post-Doctoral Fellowship (2004)

Lab Leadership: The University of Toronto Paleoecology Lab under her direction investigates climate history through sediment analysis, engaging in field-lab collaborations with First Nations communities, government agencies, and international researchers.