Amanda Keen-Zebert

Amanda Keen-Zebert, PhD, MBA, is a research professor in geosciences at the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno, Nevada, where her work spans Earth surface processes, geomorphology, geochronology, research infrastructure, and the development of interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaborative science programs. Her research background is rooted in understanding how landscapes change through time, especially river systems, floodplains, Quaternary environments, and the processes that shape the critical zone. She also brings extensive experience building the systems that allow complex science to move from individual projects into coordinated, actionable programs.

Keen-Zebert recently served as a Program Director in the U.S. National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Earth Sciences, where she managed proposal-driven research portfolios, helped shape cross-disciplinary funding opportunities, and contributed to NSF's Wildland Fire Initiative. In that role, she worked across federal agencies, philanthropic partners, researchers, and communities to advance convergent approaches to wildland fire science and resilience.

At DRI, Keen-Zebert has held multiple research leadership roles, including faculty governance, strategic planning, division leadership, and institute-wide research operations. She is currently leading FireScape Nevada, an NSF-funded project focused on wildfire risk modeling, community-led planning, and stakeholder engagement in Nevada's wildland-urban interface. Her work emphasizes the practical challenge at the heart of hazard readiness: how to connect scientific expertise, decision-support tools, institutional capacity, and community knowledge so that people can make better decisions before disasters occur.

Keen-Zebert brings the perspective of a scientist, research administrator, federal program builder, and coalition-maker working at the boundary between environmental change, public risk, and real-world resilience.