Sarah K. Carmichael

Dr. Sarah K. Carmichael is a Professor in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at Appalachian State University, where she also serves in the Appalachian Studies Faculty. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on fluid-rock reactions, manganese geomicrobiology, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction of mass extinction events through Devonian period studies.

• B.A. from Smith College
• M.A. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University

Her research combines geochemistry of mass extinctions, microbe-mineral interactions in caves, and Appalachian manganese ore formation through fieldwork from Mongolian mountains to Vietnamese basins. She leads the DAGGER (Devonian Anoxia, Geochemistry, Geochronology, and Extinction Research) Team and collaborates with Dr. Suzanna Bräuer on cave geomicrobiology projects.

Recent publications focus on Devonian-Mississippian stratigraphy in Mongolia, mercury isotope evidence for Late Devonian ocean anoxia, and human impact assessment in Appalachian caves. Her work has been recognized with National Geographic Explorer status, inclusion in the Explorers Club 50, and the UNC Board of Governors Teaching Award.

Scientific awards include

• National Geographic Explorer (2018, 2022)
• Explorers Club 50 (2022)
• Board of Governors Teaching Award (2020)
• Academy of Outstanding Teachers induction (2022)
• KWI Distinguished Service Award (2020)
• William C. Strickland Outstanding Junior Faculty Award (2014)

She mentors numerous student researchers and has secured over $1.2 million in external funding from organizations like the National Science Foundation and National Geographic Society. Her laboratory work utilizes advanced techniques such as electron microscopy and isotope analysis to decode micron-scale mineral textures that reveal Earth's ancient environmental changes.