Sarah Hartman
- SUSTAINABILITY
- WATER
- FOOD
ABOUT ME
Across a decade of work — from rainwater harvesting in the Philippines to AI-assisted agronomy in Australia — two questions keep recurring:
Resilience under stress
How food and water systems hold up under climate change, unsustainable use, and conflict — from Mexican berry-farm expansion to Ukrainian agricultural resilience during the war.
Science into action
Translating remote sensing and AI into decisions real stakeholders act on — COP26 water policy, USDA regulation, trustworthy AI-agronomist design.
13research publications
5countries worked in
3languages spoken
Hi, I'm Sarah: an interdisciplinary environmental scientist, nature-lover, language enthusiast, and dreamer.
I have spent my career working in environmental engineering, science and policy, where I design and execute low- and high-technology projects focusing on water, agriculture, and community-led growth in collaboration with public and private sector stakeholders.
Currently a CERC Postdoctoral Fellow at CSIRO in Australia, I am using skills in trustworthy, responsible artificial intelligence; biophysical crop modelling; stakeholder engagement; and environmental resource change to create applied science solutions in agriculture and resource sustainability. I have a PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management and a Bachelors in Environmental Engineering. I speak English, French, and Spanish. I am a Truman and Fulbright Scholar, winner of the 2025 Women in AI APAC award in the Agribusiness and Rural Development category, and also a recipient of 3 US National Science Foundation fellowships.
In my work, I value integrity and collaborative work. I have a strong commitment to addressing technical issues with an interdisciplinary social and policy lens.
Want to connect? Contact me and tell me about yourself!
Recognition
- Truman Scholar
- Fulbright Scholar
- 2025 Women in AI APAC Award
- 3× NSF Fellowship
Where the Work Has Happened
- Philippines
- Taiwan
- Mexico
- USA
- Australia
- Ukraine (research subject)
EDUCATION
- University of California, Berkeley
PhD. Environmental Science, Policy and Management (2024) - University of Delaware
B.E. Environmental Engineering (2017)
Publications, Presentations & Press
Publications
2025
- E. Abebe Kebede, K. Oluoch, S. Siebert, P. Mehta, S. Hartman, J. Jägermeyr, D. Ray, T. Ali, K. Brauman, Q. Deng, W. Xie, K. Frankel Davis. (2025). A global open-source dataset of monthly irrigated and rainfed cropped areas (MIRCA-OS) for the 21st century. Scientific Data. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-04313-w
- S. Hartman, R. Whiteside, A. Smaliychuk, I. Dronova. (2025). Land abandonment as an indicator of Ukrainian agricultural resilience during Russia's war against Ukraine. Applied Geography. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103744
- K. Cullen, S. Hartman, M. Hingst, M. S. Hossain, I. Jorgensen, T. Maurer, N. Mirnasi, S. Solagbade, S. Sherif, M. Sluder. (2025). Sustainable Development Goal 6 in the era of the Paris Agreement: changes and trade-offs in tailoring water challenges to global climate goals. Ecology and Society. https://doi.org/10.5751/es-16218-300316
- S. Hartman, C. S. Ong, J. Powles, P. Kuhnert. (2025). Position: We Need Responsible, Application-Driven (RAD) AI Research. arXiv preprint. https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.04104
- S. Hartman, K. Trinh, P. Flick, P. Kuhnert. (2025). Shaping the future of artificial intelligence technology development for the Australian agricultural sector. Farm Policy Journal. https://www.farminstitute.org.au/product/fpj2201-hartman-s-2025-shaping-the-future-of-artificial-intelligence-technology-development-for-the-australian-agricultural-sector/
2024
- E. Abebe Kebede, H. Abou Ali, T. Clavelle, H. Froehlich, J. Gephart, S. Hartman, M. Herrero, H. Kerner, P. Mehta, C. Nakalembe, D. Ray, S. Siebert, P. Thornton, Davis K. Frankel Davis. (2024). Assessing and addressing the global state of food production data scarcity. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-024-00516-2
2023
- S. Karimzadeh, S. Hartman, D.D. Chiarelli, M.C. Rulli, P. D'Odorico. (2023). The tradeoff between water savings and salinization prevention in dryland irrigation. Advances in Water Resources. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2023.104604
- S. J. Smidt, E. M. K. Haacker, X. Bai, K. Cherkauer, B. Choat, O. Crompton, J. M. Deines, J. Groh, S. M. Guzmán, S. Hartman, A. D. Kendall, M. Safeeq, W. Kustas, B. M. McGill, M. A. Nocco, J. Pensky, J. Rapp, A. Schreiner-Mcgraw, M. Sprenger, L. Wan, L. Weldegebriel, S. Zipper, D. Zoccatelli. (2023). Forming the Future of Agrohydrology. Earth’s Future. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF003410
2022
- Hartman, S., Farfán, M., Hoogesteger, J., D’Odorico, P. (2022). Mapping the expansion of berry greenhouses onto Michoacán's ejido lands, México. Environ. Res. Lett. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac9ac8
2021
- Hartman, S., et al. (2021). A growing produce bubble: United States produce tied to Mexico's unsustainable agricultural water use. Environ. Res. Lett. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac286d
2020
- Hartman, S., Horner, W., Jackson, C., Kovak, E., Velan, V. (2020). Policy Memo: Streamlining USDA Regulation of Gene Editing to Benefit US Agriculture. Journal of Science Policy & Governance. *Equal contribution by all. https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG170108
2019
- Kearns, J., Krupp, A., Hartman, S., Szogas, K., De Boskey, M., Harrington, J. (2019). Evaluation of arsenic field test kits as a learning exercise for engineering students in global water and sanitation class. International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering, Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship. https://doi.org/10.24908/ijsle.v14i1.12528
- Hartman, S. (2019, March 21). Thirsting for water: The challenge for the Philippines. Rappler, Retrieved from http://www.rappler.com (News article)
2018
- Kearns, J., Krupp, A., Diek, E., Mitchell, S., Dossi, S., Hartman, S. (2018). Lead-lag series and staged parallel operational strategies improve the performance and cost effectiveness of bone char for control of fluoride in groundwater. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development. https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2018.111
Presentations
2024
- Does a farmer want AI? Developing a Trusted AI Agronomist. Australian Institute for Machine Learning Seminar. Oral Presentation. Adelaide, Australia. 2024.
- The Global State of Food Production Data Scarcity. Future of Farming Systems Research Symposium. Oral Presentation. Barossa, Australia. 2024.
2023
- Cartografía de la expansión de los invernaderos de frutos rojos en las tierras ejidales de Michoacán, México. National Strawberry Council (CONAFRESA). Presentation and workshop. Michoacán, México. 2023.
- Factors Impacting Agricultural Resilience in Ukraine: A Historical to Near-Real-Time Analysis. S Hartman, I Dronova, R Whiteside. Poster Presentation. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. 2023.
- SDG6 in the Era of the Paris Agreement: Changes and Tradeoffs in Tailoring Water Sector Priorities to Global Climate Goals. K Cullen, S Hartman, M Hingst, MS Hossain, I Jorgensen, T Maurer, N Mirnasi, S Solagbade, S Sherif, M Sluder. Invited Oral Presentation. American Geophysical Union. 2023.
- Advances in Earth Observation and Monitoring Environmental Impacts of Armed Conflicts. Session Co-Convener with L Weldegebriel, E Negash, J Van Den Hoek, E Darbyshire, I Dronova. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. 2023.
2022
- Cartografia de la espansion de los invernaderos de frutos rojos en las tierras ejidales de Michoacán, México. Oral presentation in Spanish. University of Guanajuato Transdisciplinary Case Studies Seminar Series. Guanajuato, México. 2022.
- Are We on the Same Page? What COP26 Taught Us About Sectoral Alignment in the Global Water-Climate Policy Space. K Cullen, S Hartman, M Hingst, MS Hossain, I Jorgensen, T Maurer, N Mirnasi, S Solagbade, S Sherif, M Sluder. Oral Presentation. American Geophysical Union. 2022.
- Using earth Observation to Measure Shifting Patterns in Ukraine Agriculture During Conflict in Near-Real-Time. S Hartman, I Dronova, P D'Odorico. Oral Presentation. American Geophysical Union 2022.
- Global Sustainable Engineering. University of Delaware Global Sustainable Engineering Course. Guest Lecture. Delaware, USA. 2022.
- An Empirical Synthesis of the COP26 Water Pavilion: Integrating Water and Climate Policy Frameworks. Oral presentation. UC Berkeley Climate & Impacts Research Hub. California, USA. 2022.
- The COP26 Water Pavilion: Insights, Opportunities, and Challenges of Integrating Water and Climate Policy in the Future. Oral presentation. American Geophysical Union Frontiers in Hydrology. Puerto Rico, USA. 2022.
- ¿Qué nos pueden decir los modelos biofísicos y las imágenes satelitales sobre el uso agrícola del agua en México? Oral Presentation. World Water Day, Querétaro. Querétaro, México. Presentation in Spanish. 2022.
- Globalization of Natural Resources. UC Berkeley Principles of Natural Resource Management Course. Guest Lecture. California, USA.
2021
- The Irrigation Frontline: Examining Land Use Change and Resource Rights Fueling the Michoacán Berry Boom. Oral presentation. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. 2021.
- The Show Must Go On: Leveraging online tools for volunteer events and fundraising. Oral presentation. Engineers Without Borders USA National Conference. 2021.
- Agricultura de Riego: ¿La fortuna o maldición de la sustenibilidad? Oral presentation. Universidad de Guanajuato. Guanajuato, Mexico. Presentation in Spanish. 2021.
- Product of Mexico: The Socio-Environmental Impacts of Food Trade. Oral presentation. Science at Cal, Grounds for Science. 2021. [ Watch here! ]
2020
- Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Crop Virtual Water Trade from Mexico to the United States. Oral presentation. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. 2020.
2019
- Assessing the Feasibility of Rainwater Harvesting for Drinking Water in Cebu. Invited oral presenter. 4th University Research Conference, University of San Carlos. Cebu, Philippines. 2019.
- Rainwater Harvesting: Unlocked Potential. Representative for Philippines Fulbright at the Fulbright ETA, Researchers and Scholars in East Asia and Pacific Region Conference. Invited panelist and presenter of Fulbright research. Taipei, Taiwan. 2019.
2018
- Restoration of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed: Engaging Stakeholders Through Technology. Invited oral presenter. International Rivers Summit. Cebu, Philippines. 2018.
- Water and Sanitation in the 21st Century. Invited guest speaker. NASA Space Apps Challenge. Manila, Philippines. 2018.
- Sanitation: Engineering a Sustainable Future. Invited oral presenter. University of San Carlos, School of Architecture. Cebu, Philippines. 2018.
- Les préoccupations et les solutions de l'eau à San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato. Invited forum speaker. San Miguel French Forum. Guanajuato, Mexico. Presentation given in French. 2018.
Press
2018
- Engineering Change Abroad Alumni Interview. 2018.
- US scholar studies on rain harvesting in Metro Cebu. 2018.
- Nine Win Fulbrights. 2018.
2017
- Water: A Medium for Life, Engineers Without Borders Art Gala Fundraiser. 2017.
2016
2015
- Radio Interview about Engineers Without Borders, University of Delaware projects. 2015.
Contact Me
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