Katherine Smith

Katherine Smith is a graduate student in the Soil Science department at Washington State University. She grew up in the Chicago suburbs and attended Grinnell College in Grinnell, IA, where her research focused on methylmercury bioaccumulation in groundwater-fed wetlands. After graduating in May 2018 with a B.A. in Biology, she discovered her interest in sustainable agriculture while working on organic farms in Hawai’i. After interviewing from the islands, Katherine joined WSU and the USDA Northwest Sustainable Agroecosystems Research Unit in Pullman, WA in June 2020 to pursue her PhD. Her current research focuses on assessing the impact of alternative cropping systems on soil health, crop yield and quality, and economic sustainability. In the future, Katherine hopes to contribute to shifting agriculture towards being regenerative while mitigating the burden of risk that is regularly assumed by producers.

Advisors: Dr. John Reganold and Dr. Dave Huggins (co-chair)