Hem is a marine ecologist that applies modeling approaches, including end-to-end ecosystem modeling, to management, conservation, and to assess the effect of anthropogenic drivers, including climate change impacts, on coastal and marine areas. She has participated in the development of Atlantis Ecosystem Models for Puget Sound, the Gulf of California, and the Gulf of Mexico. Hem joined LLTK in 2017, as part of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project. She currently leads a WA Sea Grant project that is evaluating the effects of Southern Resident orcas recovery actions and external threats in Puget Sound. Hem is a visiting researcher at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center. She has a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.