Sharon Anderson is an Associate Professor and Chair of Earth Systems Science and Policy, California State University, Monterey Bay. Anderson has a broad educational background in geology, chemistry, plant-soil relations, and soil chemistry, and has a publication record in all of these areas. Her research has spanned the areas of soil organic matter composition, soil mineralogy, pesticide fate in the environment, and water quality. As Chair of the Earth Systems Science and Policy Program, her current work focuses on developing rigorous yet applied and interdisciplinary curricula.