Amy studied with Dr. Richard Baker, receiving an M.S. in 1986, “Middle and Late Wisconsinan Paleoecology of Western Illinois and Northcentral Iowa”.  Amy also was a Research Assistant for Dr. Baker and was the T.A. for Mineralogy and Petrology one year with Tom Foster. As an undergraduate, Amy supported the Repository under Julia Child, as Julia developed one of the first digital databases. She started with the board in 2014, was Chair from 2018 – 2021 and Past Chair in 2022. Amy has coordinated the documentation for the annual EES Distinguished Alumni Award since it began in 2019. Amy has rejoined the alumni board after a 1-year hiatus with her 3-year term beginning in Spring 2024. Amy and Joe Sullivan have established “The Sullivan- Smith Graduate Fund” for EES. 

She is currently serving on the advisory board of the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as well as the UI Library Advancement Council (LAC). Amy had a three-decade career in the petroleum industry working with Mobil, ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell. Her project work included Egypt, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Kansas, and California. She is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Geological Society of America and the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists. Amy and her husband, Joe, live south of Denver, CO. She is currently a Colorado State Park volunteer at Roxborough State Park. 

Amy has a B.A. in Anthropology and The Classics, a B.S. and M.S. in Geology, all with UI.

Research Interests: Onshore and deepwater oil and gas appraisal, development and field production; regional geology, plant habitat restoration and birding.