Sarah Davis
Sarah Davis Curriculum Vitae [PDF]
Dr. Sarah C. Davis is a professor of environmental studies in the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service at Ohio University, and is an expert in ecosystem ecology and bioenergy systems. She researches system-level energy conversion efficiency, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and greenhouse gas fluxes. Her work includes the development of pilot systems for biogas, planning circular economies of nutrients, assessments of climate resilient crops, and sustainable forest management. Past experimental work includes the study of carbon and nitrogen cycling in managed ecosystems and feedbacks between terrestrial ecosystem dynamics and climate change.
Dr. Davis received a PhD in Biology from West Virginia University where she studied the long-term response of forest carbon sequestration to nitrogen deposition and common harvesting practices. She continued her study of forest carbon balances and began researching bioenergy agro-ecosystems while in a post-doctoral position at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), and was then appointed in 2010 as a Bioenergy Analyst for the Energy Biosciences Institute, an interdisciplinary research program at UC Berkeley and UIUC. Dr. Davis joined the Voinovich School at Ohio University in 2013, and contributes to a new field of energy bioscience by exploring opportunities for land management that will simultaneously enhance ecosystem services and stimulate rural economies.
Dr. Davis has authored over 50 peer-reviewed scientific articles and book chapters, was the recent Chair of the Agroecology Section of the Ecological Society of America, and founded Open OHIO (a collaborative that promotes civic engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration on campus). Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Agriculture, the Sugar Bush Foundation, and other organizations, with project funds totaling over $3M. Dr. Davis is developing new partnerships that work toward diversifying both agriculture and energy systems and developing resilient management strategies.
Dr. Davis also teaches as a faculty member of the Environmental Studies program at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, and has been involved in education for 25 years. She administered an alternative education program for underprivileged high school students from 1999-2003, taught undergraduate students from 2003-present, and has trained graduate student researchers from 2010- present. Dr. Davis currently teaches courses in Ecology and Environmental Issues, Bioenergy, Environmental Science and Public Policy, and Strategies for Resilient Agriculture.
Dr. Sarah C. Davis is an ecosystem ecologist and bioenergy systems expert. She researches system-level energy conversion efficiency, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse gas fluxes in managed ecosystems using experimental and modeling approaches. Her work on advanced bioenergy includes assessments of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) in drought tolerant plants, perennial grasses, and integrated system designs for waste and fertilizer management. As a faculty member in the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, Davis looks for opportunities to engage the campus and local community in discussions about resilience, and applies her research to problems related to land management, waste management, and soil quality. Davis is author of over 40 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters, recent Chair of the Agroecology Section of the Ecological Society of America, and founder of Open OHIO (a collaborative that promotes civic friendship and interdisciplinary collaboration). In addition to co-teaching the Environmental Studies Capstone course, Davis teaches Ecology and Environmental Issues, Bioenergy: Science, Policy, and Business, and will soon offer online courses in both Environmental Science and Public Policy and Strategies for Resilient Agriculture.
Courses Taught
- Ecology and Environmental Issues (ES 6820)
- Strategies for Resilient Agriculture (ES 5740/4740)
- Environmental Science and Public Policy (ES 5620 or intro version ES3620)
- Bioenergy: Science, Policy, and Business (ES 5710/4710)
- ES 6900 Special Topics: Photosynthetic Measurement