Sarah Feakins

Sarah Feakins is a Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Southern California (USC), affiliated with the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. She leads the Leaf Wax Lab, focusing on paleoclimate and paleoecology through organic geochemistry. Her research reconstructs past climates using plant wax molecules preserved in geological records, including studies of sea-floor sediments via the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP). She investigates climate patterns, plant responses to environmental changes, and warm periods relevant to future climate trajectories.

Her research is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the American Chemical Society (ACS), and the USC WiSE Program. She mentors graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. Key projects include reconstructing hydroclimate variability in California, studying Miocene climate dynamics, and analyzing sediment cores from locations like Searles Lake and Bear Lake. Her lab's work bridges geochemistry, geobiology, and climate science, with applications to water management and societal challenges.

Feakins advises students through USC's Earth Sciences PhD program and collaborates internationally. Her lab's findings contribute to understanding Earth's climate system and inform strategies for addressing climate change impacts. She also advocates for diversity in STEM through initiatives like the Earth-WiSE mentoring group.