Jessica Bullington

Jessica Bullington (she/her) is a PhD student in the department of Earth System Science within the School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences. She studies how sea level rise will affect water quality and microbial diversity of coastal aquifers. Her research employs advanced technologies for deploying in situ sensors, sequencing microbial genomes, and predictive modeling. In her career, she would like to conduct science in service to local communities in order to transition the process of knowledge generation from extractive to reciprocal partnerships. Jessica's interests in community-engaged research were ignited while earning a master's degree in Biological Oceanography at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa guided by the principles of ethical science in the Kūlana Noi'i. In collaboration with the Strategic Monitoring and Resilience Training (SMART) Ala Wai Program, Jessica showed how rising water temperature due to climate change and sea level rise will increase the prevalence of a pathogenic bacterium on the coast of Honolulu. She worked with local organizations including the Hawaiʻi Ocean Safety Team and the Hawaiʻi Department of Health as well as educational programs such as the Maile Mentoring Bridge and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant. Outside of research and teaching, Jessica enjoys hiking with her husky and SCUBA diving.