Amanda Smits

Background

About Amanda Smits

As the Centre Administrator of the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) at Brock University, I have over seven years of experience in managing and developing innovative academic programs and partnerships that advance sustainability in our community and beyond. I have co-led Sustainability at Brock, a cross-functional initiative aiming to improve the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and reporting of the university. I oversee a team that includes both full-time permanent employee direct reports, as well as 2 to 6 student Research Assistant positions annually.I am passionate about creating experiential learning opportunities for our students, such as field trips, internships, and guest speakers, that expose them to the field of sustainability and its diverse applications. I also teach an undergraduate course on leadership in environmental sustainability, where I mentor and inspire the next generation of sustainability leaders. Additionally, I have contributed to multiple academic publications on Higher Education Institutes (HEI)-Community partnerships and sustainability science, demonstrating my analytical and research skills. I am motivated by the vision of transforming organizations, such as Brock, to being sustainability leaders and forces for positive change.