People / Alumni

Amber Kerr

Drought resilience of maize-legume agroforestry systems in Malawi (PhD ’12) Amber Kerr is an agricultural ecologist focusing on climate change impacts and adaptation. She has studied nutrient cycling in California grasslands (Stanford, Earth Systems, BS/MS 2002), drought resilience of maize-legume agroforestry systems in Malawi (UC Berkeley, Energy and Resources Group, Ph.D. 2012), and climate adaptation in California crops and rangelands (UC Davis, postdoctoral scholar, 2014-2016). As an ERG Ph.D. student, Amber also worked on greenhouse gas inventory methods for California, state-level renewable energy innovation strategies, and global comparisons of financial debt with ecological debt. In addition to teaching ERG’s Ecology and Society course during UC Berkeley Summer Session, Amber is an adjunct instructor at SJSU (Environmental Studies) and at Las Positas College (Biology). She also serves as a science advisor on the forestry team at Carbon Direct, a consulting firm providing guidance on carbon offset quality. Amber grew up in Queensland, Australia, but has deep roots in California (including parents who met as UC Berkeley undergraduates). Her non-academic hobbies include gardening, hiking, running, and triathlons. She lives in Mountain View with her husband and two young children. Links: Research Group: