Karen Frey

Karen Frey is a Professor in the Graduate School of Geography at Clark University. She specializes in earth system science, focusing on polar climate change, cryospheric responses, biogeochemistry, and remote sensing. Her research spans fieldwork in Siberia, Alaska, Greenland, Antarctica, and the Hindu-Kush Himalayas, supported by NSF, NASA, NOAA, and ONR grants.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Geography, University of California, Los Angeles (2005)
• M.A. in Geography, University of California, Los Angeles (2000)
• B.A. in Geological Sciences, Cornell University (1998)

Research interests center on polar environments, examining:

• Biogeochemical impacts of sea ice decline
• Hydrological changes in permafrost regions
• Remote sensing of Arctic carbon fluxes
• Cryospheric feedbacks to global climate
• Marine ecosystem responses to warming
• Landscape fragmentation analysis using sUAS

Recent publications reveal trends in:

• Arctic ocean primary productivity linked to sea ice loss
• Dissolved organic matter dynamics in permafrost rivers
• Phytoplankton bloom timing in warming seas
• Polar remote sensing innovations
• Walrus foraging behavior and sea ice
• Hydrological controls on Arctic lake biogeochemistry

Grants:

• NSF Arctic Observing Network Program (2019-2024)
• NSF Arctic System Science Program (2022-2023)
• NASA Carbon Cycle Science

She established the Polar Science Research Laboratory in 2007, leading projects across polar regions with interdisciplinary teams using field measurements, satellite data, and modeling.