This Environmental Science Alumna is Committed to Fighting Climate Change

Amanda Pierce has dedicated her adult life to making more sustainable communities, on the ground and in the lab
Amanda Pierce smiles looking slightly away from the camera

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Amanda Pierce
Graduation year: Spring 2022
UMKC degree program: B.S. Environmental Science
Hometown: Leawood, Kansas

Amanda Pierce (B.S. ’22) lives her commitment to environmentalism. Literally. While pursuing projects, she has lived in her car, and in a tent on the beach in Tulum, Mexico.

Before enrolling at UMKC, Pierce spent five years traveling across Peru, Belize, Mexico, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas working on environmental projects. She built gardens and houses, saved animals from fishing nets, volunteered on nature reserves, cleaned trash from beaches and dug wells.

Amanda Pierce stands smiling in front of a mountain in Mexico
Pierce during her volunteer trip in Mexico. Photo courtesy of Amanda Pierce

After several years of seeing the effects of climate change up close, she wanted to do more. So, she moved back home to Kansas City and enrolled in the environmental science program at UMKC.

“I saw people in these underdeveloped and unprivileged countries who wanted to live cleaner and healthier, but did not have the means. I saw things like plastic and fossil fuels and driving our cars were the problem,” said Pierce. “I knew I had to do something about it. It’s now or never and we’re running out of time.”

Just like she did with her volunteer work, Pierce poured herself into her studies. In addition to her coursework, Pierce took part in the inaugural Emerging Research Scholars cohort, a UMKC program launched in 2021 to support undergraduate research.

“That was really cool. I highly recommend it for anyone researching at UMKC,” said Pierce.

She secured grant funding to conduct two undergraduate research projects. The first study was conducted in the 2021-2022 academic year. Pierce found that a certain type of moss removed carbon dioxide and balanced the pH level in water samples collected from Indian Creek in Johnson County to near drinking-water level. She presented her findings at the 22nd Annual Symposium of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship where she received a Presentation of Distinction, which recognizes excellence in research.

Amanda Pierce smiles, holding a certificate for her presentation of distinction
Pierce was awarded a Presentation of Distinction for her research in Spring 2022. Photo courtesy of Amanda Pierce

“I’m a real scientist now,” Pierce said. “I had the opportunity to share my findings and get over the fear of not being able to talk about stuff because I was still a student. It made it feel more professional.”

Pierce went to two other colleges before coming to UMKC. She said her professors at UMKC were supportive and made her feel like she was part of something bigger, something she said she had not had in her previous college experiences.

“Dr. Sun is great, I love his classes. Professor Davies was my mentor and I had so much fun in her class. She’s just like that really cool aunt that everybody wants to go hiking with. I love Professor Graettinger. I didn’t want to graduate because I didn’t want to leave her class,” said Pierce.

She’s now pursuing her Geographic Information System (GIS) certification and conducting a Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity research project focused on alternative ways to grow duckweed, which is the fastest-growing plant on earth and effective at removing carbon dioxide. 

“My whole career future is wetland-related,” said Pierce. “Definitely all of my research is going to be related to removing carbon from the atmosphere.”

Amanda Pierce stands in her graduation regalia at Kauffman Stadium while holding her diploma
Pierce graduated in 2022. Photo courtesty of Amanda Pierce

In addition to all the knowledge she has gained through her classes and research, Pierce said she has also learned about herself in college. Her goal is to take what she has learned and be a lab technician or a field worker.

“I’m excited to use the skills that I’ve worked so hard for. I used to think so globally, but now I’m more realistic. More locally, wherever I go, I want to make a difference,” said Pierce. “I’ve learned that if you really care about it and you really want it and you put in the time for it, it will pay off.”


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