Katrina Edwards

Katrina Jane Edwards (15 March 1968 - 26 October 2014) was a pioneering geomicrobiologist known for her studies of organisms living below the ocean floor, specifically exploring the interactions between the microbes and their geological surroundings, and how global processes were influenced by these interactions. She spearheaded the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigation (C-DEBI) project at the University of Southern California, which is ongoing. Edwards also helped organize the deep biosphere research community by heading the Fe-Oxidizing Microbial Observatory Project on Loihi Seamount, and serving on several program steering committees involving ocean drilling. While continuing her work at the airport, Edwards attended Ohio State University to pursue an undergraduate degree in geology. In 1994, she received her bachelor's degree with honors. There she earned a master's in geology with emphasis on isotope geochemistry and in 1999 she earned the first Ph.D. in geomicrobiology awarded by the university.

Edwards, as founding director and principal investigator of C-DEBI, worked with other scientists and led multiple expeditions in the North Atlantic Ocean, including international projects to explore the ocean's crust through deep drilling.

Awards and recognition Edwards was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 2010 and the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2011. In 2012, she became the third woman to receive one of the highest honors for those working in ocean science, the Royal Society of Canada's A.G. Huntsman Award for Excellence in Marine Science.