Hello, I am Dr. Katherine Sammler. I am trained as a political and human geographer, with a background in atmospheric sciences and physics. Broadly, my research analyzes the convergence of scientific knowledge systems with more-than-human politics, from the deepest seas out into orbital space. I use feminist STS, political ecology, and critical geography scholarship to consider the role of knowledge, law, and power in defining borders and boundaries that govern difference spatially, electromagnetically, bio- and geologically.
I am currently a Fulbright Scholar (2026-27) and visiting researcher at , Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional/BRIN National Research & Innovation Agency in Jakarta, Indonesia conducting research on ocean biodiversity and resource governance. Previous academic appointments include as tenured assistant professor of Environmental Knowledge, Technology, and Sustainability Studies at University of Twente in Netherlands (2023-2025), lead of the Marine Political Ecology research cluster at the Helmholtz-Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) at University of Oldenburg in Germany (2020-2023), and as assistant professor of Global Studies & Maritime Affairs at California State University Maritime in the U.S. (2016-2020).
Last updated October 2026
