Andrea Smith

Served as Secretary of the board while supporting a grant team focused on funding community water sustainability and self-sufficiency efforts. Contributed to governance and outreach activities to strengthen impact at the local community level.

Mentored students and alumni and provided resume and cover letter reviews to support career readiness. Helped strengthen community participation by engaging students, alumni, staff, neighbors, and an online audience.

Served as Treasurer for the Southern Arizona Chapter, supporting board leadership and ongoing chapter operations. Developed continuing-education knowledge through webinars on federal grants, grant reporting/compliance, and AI in grant writing, while applying strong organizational skills for member engagement and administrative tasks.

Supported 350 students per semester by helping strengthen academic papers and written communication skills through virtual one-on-one tutoring tailored to individual learning styles. Planned and facilitated writing workshops for 60–80 participants per year and improved cross-department communication and resource sharing through collaborative problem-solving.

Conducted annual beaver surveys along the San Pedro River by searching for evidence and recording observations. Used the Survey123 app to document findings and support river ecosystem monitoring and habitat assessment.

Conducted qualitative research in Cochise County to create rural Arizona museum exhibits educating residents about local water systems. Coordinated 30+ community interviews using an interview script tied to local water policy and infrastructure, emphasizing historically underrepresented voices in environmental justice discussions.

Served as alumni representation for a council fostering sustainable practices across the institution. Reviewed and voted on funding proposals for student projects advancing environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

Contributed to programs increasing scientific literacy and strengthening resiliency in a rural, borderland community. Wrote the 2025 Community Foundation for Southern Arizona CORE Grant securing $15,000 in funding for the organization.

Supported rural food security efforts by regularly assisting with free hot meal preparation and service for community members in need. Helped advance access to essential resources through consistent nonprofit support and outreach.

Delivered outreach to 500+ online students via telephone and email to support academic and social needs. Researched food and housing security resources, created 63 resource referrals, and provided responsive communication to help geographically dispersed students access support services.

Supported community field activities including group hikes in the Galiuro, Chiricahua, and Santa Catalina Mountains. Surveyed springs to track water sources and identify conservation needs, and helped build rock structures with a team to control erosion in a wildfire-impacted canyon.

Applied permaculture techniques to plan, plant, and nurture campus gardens supporting food security for 200+ students. Contributed to a campus compost project saving 2,800 lbs of food scraps from the landfill and co-facilitated an environmental education day for 100+ local elementary students.

Assisted the department head with setting up and running biology/life science labs supporting experiential environmental science education for 40+ students per semester. Hosted study halls and maintained the biology lab by reorganizing and labeling storage to improve accessibility and efficiency.

Earned a Master of Science in Resilient and Sustainable Communities at Prescott College, strengthening expertise in sustainability and community-focused resilience.

Earned a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies at Prescott College, building foundational knowledge in environmental sustainability.