Who We Are

Who We Are

James R. Watson

Associate Professor
College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
Oregon State University, USA
email: james.watson@oregonstate.edu
Google Scholar

CEO and Co-Founder
ClearWater Analytica
An environmental data science company that makes predictions of harmful algal blooms in lakes and reservoirs. Visit our Website

Education and Professional Appointments
BSc Biochemistry, University of Bristol, UK, 1998-2001
MSc Oceanography, National Oceanography Centre, UK, 2003-2005
PhD Marine Science, University of California Santa Barbara, USA, 2006-2011
Post-doc Scholar, Atmospheric And Ocean Sciences program (AOS), Princeton University, USA, 2011-2013
Post-doc Research Associate, Dept. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, USA, 2014
Forskare, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Sweden, 2014-2017
Assistant Professor, Oregon State University, OR, USA, 2017-2022
Associate Professor, Oregon State University, OR, USA, 2022-present

Post-docs

2018 – A. John Woodill, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University.
John has expertise in resource economics, data science, climate adaptation, harmful algal blooms, predicting and measuring the impacts of illegal fishing.


PhD Students

2020 – Keiko Nomura, PhD student in Geography, Oregon State University.
Keiko researches (outer) space, sports and the sea through the lens of Complex Adaptive Systems theory.



2020 – Val Chang, PhD student in the Geography Program, Oregon State University.
Val researches the entanglement between the physical and social dimensions of climate change. Their current project uses satellite remote-sensing and environmental soundscapes to understand the way climate change impacts our relationships to place. Val is an interdisciplinary artist creating video-based projection art installations about their work transforming science into action and building emotional resonance in climate change research.


Junior Researchers

2019 – Mihir Joshi, High school student, Salem.
Mihir is interested in the impact of climate change on shifting species range distributions. Specifically, Mihir focuses on marine organisms and the role that marine protected areas will play in buffering the impacts of climate change.

Former Lab Members

Anne Devan Song, 2018-2022, PhD, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University.
Ciera Villegas, 2017-2022, PhD, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University.
Steven Johnson, 2017-2022, PhD, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University.
George Hagstrom, 2020, Post-doc, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University.
Srikar Valluri, 2020, BS, Computer Science, Oregon State University.
Ginny Katz, 2018-2022, PhD, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University.
Nicolás Gómez-Andúja, 2019-2021, MS, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University.
Shannon Hennessey, 2020-2021, Post-doc, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University.
Ernesto Villarino, 2018-2021, Post-doc, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University.
Mathew Titus, 2017-2020, Post-doc, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University.
Alison Iles, 2019, Post-doc, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University.
Zach Gelbaum, 2017-2019, Post-doc, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University.
Emily Klein; 2014-2016, Post-doc, Stockholm Resilience Centre / Princeton University exchange program
Matthieu Barbier; 2014-2016, Post-doc, Stockholm Resilience Centre / Princeton University exchange program
Laura Elsler; 2014, MS student, Sustainable Development-Environmental Sciences, University of Graz
Roweena Patel; 2013, MS student, Sustainability Science, Stockholm Resilience Centre
Angela Zhou; 2013, BS student, Stockholm Resilience Centre research intern from Princeton University
Jen Zhao; 2013, BS student, Stockholm Resilience Centre research intern from Princeton University
Alex Ahn; 2011-2012, BS student, Stockholm Resilience Centre research intern from Swarthmore College