Dr. Amanda Gumbert is an Extension Specialist for Water Quality in the Forestry & Natural Resources Department at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment (M-G CAFE). She leads a small but mighty team of extension professionals who provide technical assistance, education, and outreach programs on agricultural water quality issues, conservation practices, and backyard stream stewardship to county extension agents, watershed practitioners, conservation professionals, and general audiences. She has experience with programs that address water quality, solid waste, air quality, and soil concerns for youth and adult audiences. She represents Kentucky on water quality efforts throughout the Mississippi River basin, collaborating on nutrient loss reduction projects with land grant university partners throughout the region. She and her team also collaborate with regional partners to identify resources and strategies to promote nature-based solutions in urban and rural watersheds to manage stormwater, reduce flood impacts, and build resilient communities.
Though her background is in plant and soil science, she is involved in work centered around social science concepts like behavior change and peer learning, as these elements are critical to conservation practice adoption. Amanda teaches an introductory course on issues in agriculture, food systems, and the environment, serves as adjunct faculty in the Science Translation and Outreach master’s program, and frequently provides guest lectures for undergraduate and graduate courses. She holds BS and MS degrees in Plant and Soil Science and a PhD in Soil Science from the University of Kentucky and is an affiliate with the Kentucky Water Research Institute.
Amanda attributes her passion for agriculture, conservation, and the natural world to inspirational teachers and growing up on a farm in Robertson County, Kentucky, which she now owns and manages with her husband and son.