New Faces at the 'ville: Karen Hinkley

          As we kick off the new school year, we welcome some new faces to campus. Many are new students, but several new faculty members, such as science teacher Karen Hinkley, have joined the Lawrenceville community. Going into her 37th year of teaching, Hinkley is an experienced scientist and educator. Born in England, raised in Canada, and spending most of her time on the West Coast of the United States, Hinkley’s life has been full of unique experiences.

          For as long as she could remember, Hinkley recalls that teaching was “something that came naturally” to her in all situations, and was always something she loved doing. In addition to teaching, swimming and other water activities have also been a huge part of her life. Actually, Hinkley’s  first teaching experience was serving as a swim instructor, which coincided  with one of her biggest passions: scuba diving. Hinkley says she is “more comfortable under the water” than when she is above it. 

          Academically, Hinkley has combined her aquatic interests with science to conduct unique research. Holding a Doctorate in Material Sciences and Engineering, she specifically focused her postdoctoral work on Biomimetics, which she defines as “looking at the way nature does things, and [then] imitating it.” Notably, she produced a bionano composite, which has been used in as preventative measures and in procedures like joint replacement and tooth regeneration. To do this, she spent time in Tanzania and islands off the coast of Washington state, diving for shells and breaking her gathered shells in order to watch their regeneration process. Her bionano composite was based on the observations she made of the natural shell processes. While finding her passion in the sciences, Hinkley also dabbled in the veterinary business and served as a lifeguard for nearly 30 years, but she quickly redirected her interests to what she does now. 

          In addition to her dedication to science, Hinkley also carries a love for adventures. She described herself as willing to  “get on a plane going anywhere,” as she enjoys traveling in her free time, along with kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and exploring caves. Having flown across the world, both to conduct scientific research and embark on educational expeditions with students, Hinkley finds the opportunity to travel extremely valuable, explaining that “things are best learned on trips.” In the past, she guided students to Hawaii to study volcanoes, Costa Rica to explore Ecology, as well as several other destinations like Belize and Puerto Rico. When reflecting on a particularly memorable trip to Tanzania during the summers of ’98 and ’00, Hinkley recalls that she found herself immersed in a world vastly different than anything she had experienced before. 

          “It was really eye opening,” she reflected. At Lawrenceville, Hinkley aspires to continue leading and encouraging students to use trips as a valuable learning experience. As such, the Harkness Travel Program is something she is excited to be involved in. In particular, she hopes to organize a future trip to the Utah national parks. 

          Currently, Hinkley lives with her dog, Sam, four cats, and three chickens, whom she enjoys spending time with after school. As she embarks on her newest adventure at Lawrenceville, she hopes to teach a Marine Biology or Material Science and Engineering class utilizing her previous experience. With so many interesting endeavors, we are excited for what Hinkley  will share with Lawrenceville!