Kurt Smith

Biography

Dr. Smith attended Oregon State University where he played football for the Beavers while earning undergraduate degrees in History, Forestry, and later a Master’s Degree in Public Administration centered in natural resources management. Dr. Smith received a Doctorate in Forestry and Environmental Resources from North Carolina State University in 2012 and entered the teaching field having recently retired from a career in government with nearly 25 years of experience. His extensive career had him managing parks in Philadelphia, designing museum exhibits in Raleigh, managing parks, and historic sites, working on wildlife habitat improvement projects and doing wildlife rehabilitation. He also led an extensive open space acquisition program in Wake County for several years, and served as a county director of the Soil and Water Conservation Service. Other projects include setting up a water quality monitoring program to better understand and improve impaired streams on a long term basis, and creating an annual water quality report. Throughout his career he has done consulting and contract work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, The Bureau of Land Management, which has taken him to venues in Oregon, Hawaii and other interesting places. His dissertation focused on collaborative watershed planning, and he has maintained research interests in watershed management, applied environmental drone technology, and natural resource management. His hobbies include fly fishing and coaching football and track. His newest passion is transferring both book knowledge and practical experience to the next generation of environmental resource professionals.

Research Interest

Environmental Management