Ken Smith

Experience

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  Peace Corps

  May 1986 - Nov 1989

  Forestry volunteer

  Forestry volunteer inside a UN watershed protection project on the Fouta Djallon Plateau, worked in a tree nursery and with tree outplantings, drew maps of project areas, inventoried project plantings for growth and mortality, visited remote villages to assess water needs, worked in volunteer training sessions.

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  US Forest Service

  Mar 1990 - Jul 1990

  Forest ecology technician

  Worked in a field crew that located and inventoried old-growth plots throughout SW Oregon

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  University of Florida

  Aug 1990 - Dec 1996

  Graduate student

  Masters and PhD research in forest tree improvement (slash pine) in Florida and forest soils and the long-term effects of vegetation on soil properties in the Brazilian Amazon

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  Universite Laval

  Jan 1997 - Jul 1998

  Post-doctoral researcher

  Post-doctoral research on the effects on forest harvesting on chemical and physical soil properties in central Quebec black spruce forests. We compared harvested sites to sites that were recovering from forest fire, duties included lab and field studies and supervision of student research assistants.

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  New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute

  Jan 2007 - Feb 2009

  Director

  Led a team of 5 employees, 10 contractors, and several students in the initial years of the NMFWRI to develop restoration projects across the state with public, private, and tribal partners

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  Sewanee Utility District

  Jan 2009 - Jan 2017

  Board of Commissioners

  Publicly elected board member for the 40sq mile utility district (water supply and distribution and wastewater treatment). Review budgets, develop strategic plans, participate in public meetings dealing with utility policies.

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  University of the South

  Jan 2009 - Jun 2021

  The Department of Earth and Environmental Systems houses 90 student majors in forestry, geology, natural resources, and environment and sustainability, and we also supervise Sewanee's watershed science certificate. I taught forestry and environmental studies classes, supervised independent research with students (see example below), conducted other research related to human impacts on soils, and conducted forest management activities on university property including the use of forest harvesting and prescribed fire (oak and shortleaf pine restoration). At Sewanee, I served as University Forester for 12 years, and working with our Domain manager, I worked on 20 thinning or harvest units and we have conducted over 60 prescribed fires on the property. I was a Tennessee Certified Burn Manager and maintained my red-card. I also chaired Sewanee's Environmental Studies Program from 2001-2006. Managed 10 restricted and non-restricted accounts related to department academic activities, student internships, and department research projects. Show less This position was created in 2016 to better coordinate efforts among our environmentally-oriented academic departments and programs. Currently, we have over 30 faculty and staff involved in Sewanee's Integrated Program in the Environment, as well as 150 students in six different majors. Specific tasks assigned to this position include 1) providing vision and leadership for environmental activities in the college, 2) overseeing the communication about events in the college and university about the environment, 3) communicating with Sewanee's sustainability director to make sure efforts are coordinated across campus, 4) ensuring Sewanee’s participation in key national meetings such as AASHE, AESS, and NCSE, and 5) working with the Dean to seek funding through the campaign to support plans for the growth of environmental studies in the College. I also supervised our summer environmental program for rising high school juniors and seniors. This effort is designed to give the students two weeks worth of experiences in a college setting and to promote Sewanee's environment and sustainability operations to high schools across the nation. Show less

  • Professor and Co-chair, Earth and Environmental Systems

    Jul 1998 - Jun 2021

  • Assistant Dean of the Environment

    Jul 2016 - Jul 2019

  • University Forester

    Jan 2009 - Jul 2016
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  Valles Caldera National Preserve

  Apr 2010 - Sept 2015

  Board of Trustees

  Served as White House appointee on the Board of Trustees for the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Reviewed management plans, budgets, and strategic plans for the preserve. Interacted with public interest groups including the local ranching community, adjacent tribes, and local environmental groups. Chaired the board during the final year of the Trust as it transitioned to the National Park Service in the fall of 2015.

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  Cherokee National Forest

  Sept 2010 - Dec 2012

  Resource Advisory Committee

  Appointed member of the Cherokee NF RAC (Secure Rural Schools Act). Participated as an advisory member in public meetings dealing with joint USFS/county proposals to fund various projects on the national forest.

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  Island Ecology Program

  Aug 2011 - Jul 2021

  Co-director Island Ecology

  Co-directed Sewanee's Island Ecology Program, a 6 week intensive field program that covers island and coastal geology, plant and soil science, historical land use, invertebrate ecology and wildlife ecology. The program is run in a collaboration with the St. Catherines Island Foundation.

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  Forest Stewards Guild

  Aug 2011 - Aug 2021

  Board Of Directors

  Served as national vice-chair. Duties included budget review, strategic planning, evaluation of executive director, consultation with general membership, participation in development of white papers retarding various forest issues, and planning of regional meetings.

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  Kentucky-Tennessee Society of American Foresters

  Jan 2015 - Jan 2016

  Chair

  Served as chair for KT-SAF, an organization of foresters and allied land managers with approximately 350 members across the two states. The mission of the Society of American Foresters is to advance the science, education, technology, and practice of forestry; to enhance the competency of its members; to establish professional excellence; and, to use the knowledge, skills, and conservation ethic of the profession to ensure the continued health and use of forest ecosystems and the present and future availability of forest resources to benefit society. Show less

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  The University of Arizona, Department of Environmental Science, Tucson, AZ

  Jun 2021 - now

  Global Professor and Microcampus Director

  Responsible for coordinating the new UA microcampus at China’s Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University in Yangling, China. Specific duties include teaching environmental science courses to Chinese students enrolled in the dual UA/NWAFU degree program, hiring additional faculty to teach in the program, mentoring younger faculty working in China, finding ways to promote joint research efforts between the two universities, and coordinating activities in China with UA’s Department of Environmental Sciences and Global Programs as well as with our Chinese colleagues at NWAFU. Show less