Kathleen Smith, or Kay as she is called for short, is a first year graduate student in the Master’s of Environmental Science and Management Program (MESM), in the sustainable systems track, at the University of Rhode Island. As she navigates graduate school, Kathleen is fine-tuning her interests in environmental science and management as they relate to agricultural systems, and is working toward developing a master’s project with a focus on sustainable agriculture. Within her range of interests in agriculture and conservation, she has a particular interest in rotational cropping systems. She may develop her major paper for the MESM program around management of cropping systems, although she is seeking more contacts and information on this and related topics as she continues to learn more about conservation and sustainable agriculture.
Kathleen holds an undergraduate degree in biology from URI, and is making strides to gain more practical experience utilizing her background in science. She currently has two jobs as a cashier in North Kingstown, RI, but is interested in expanding upon her scientific knowledge through working with an agricultural extension program, or similar position working within the farm community. As Kathleen continues to explore more options for employment in her field to better connect with her educational and career goals, she seeks to develop greater understanding of the scope of agricultural issues as related to environmental conservation and management. Kathleen wants to use and further develop her skills in these areas as her interest has expanded from My Little Pony to encompass actual farm animals and agricultural systems.
An avid reader of non-fiction and history, Kathleen loves learning and being a student. She is excited to be furthering her career at the University of Rhode Island, and looks forward to more educational opportunities, including learning more about spatial analysis and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping, which would help her learn more about spatial variability in agricultural systems within the surrounding landscape. Her past educational experiences also took her across the map and include traveling to French Canada for a semester abroad. As a life-long resident of North Kingstown, Kathleen hopes to be able to travel to more places and discover new experiences, and perhaps her interest in agriculture and conservation will open doors to exploring farming communities in other countries or cultures and how they relate to conservation and sustainable development.
In her spare time, Kathleen enjoys cooking and eating Asian food, and frequents her favorite haunts in South County including Seven Moons restaurant in North Kingstown and Mews tavern in Wakefield. When she is not enjoying prepared delights from these establishments, you may find Kathleen concocting fruit smoothies in her home kitchen.