Lauryn Hansen is a 2024 E. Gordon Grau Fellow with the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program, where she is focused on developing a needs assessment for managing contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in Hawaiʻi and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands. Her work involves identifying current knowledge gaps in the region while reviewing global research and management strategies to create best practices tailored to the Pacific. In partnership with local agencies, Lauryn aims to improve the protection of coastal ecosystems and populations from the impacts of contaminant exposure and to contribute to efforts that safeguard food and water security. She is excited to help develop strategies for future monitoring and management, as well as engage in public education and outreach on CECs.

Lauryn grew up on the West Coast with a lifelong connection to coastal environments, from tide-pooling in Seattle as a child, to surfing and diving as a teenager. In 2022, she earned a BS in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Global Environmental Science program, and in 2023 finished a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) with a focus on epidemiology at UH Mānoa. Lauryn’s past work spans various environmental and well-being concepts, including the impacts of chemical exposure on coral reefs, public relationships with ocean spaces, and the history of land use and contamination in Puʻuloa. In her free time, Lauryn is also an educator and volunteer with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi, where she has learned the incredible value of public engagement and knowledge sharing. She is eager to collaborate with a variety of agencies and local groups as a Grau Fellow to develop novel strategies for environmental well-being challenges in the Pacific.