About Us

Amy Wright is a professor of horticulture and the associate dean for instruction with the College of Agriculture at Auburn University. Wright loves working with students and faculty across the college. Working in an academic environment means being surrounded by people passionate about learning, discovery and innovation.

Wright has been involved in agriculture from a young age. Growing up in Virginia, her family had a small nursery at her house. She remembers looking after the nursery with her sister and learning all about plants. During the summer, she remembers visiting her grandparents’ farm in Tennessee and seeing the commercial side of agriculture.

“Horticulture has always been part of my life,” Wright said.

Her love of plants is in her blood, as her father was also a professor of horticulture. However, following in her father’s footsteps was not always her plan. During her undergraduate studies, Wright did not study agriculture but instead studied chemistry at Virginia Tech. It wasn’t until graduate school that Wright pursued her love of horticulture. Wright feels that she was drawn to this world because of her love of nature and the impact plants have on her life. Whether it is getting flowers from the store or growing herbs in her home garden, she believes that plants bring a lot of joy to people in their day-to-day life. Upon entering Wright’s office, you are quickly reminded of the joy plants bring. Beautiful succulents line her windowsill, which have been a way she can connect with people and even give the opportunity for an impromptu biology lesson in the office.

When asked about her experience as a woman in academia, Wright said she has had overwhelming support from her peers. Since she has been at the college, Wright has never felt any barrier to her career because of her gender. Luckily, this is not an uncommon experience in the field of academia. She said the things that people care about in this field are arguably the only things in a professional environment they should care about.

“Are you good at what you do, are you a good teacher, are you a good colleague and are you nice to work with and easy to get along with,” Wright said.

Wright wants to encourage women to consider careers in agriculture. She said there are a lot of opportunities for women in this area of study and different paths they can venture into. Applying yourself to a program you are passionate about can be dynamic and rewarding.

“In the College of Agriculture, some students go into law school, med school, vet school, grad school, dental school and a lot of other professions,” Wright said.

The Auburn College of Agriculture is open to everyone, no matter their background. Contrary to common belief, Wright said you do not have to have a background in agriculture to be successful in the college. There are a lot of programs for women to get involved in with within the college. Not all programs are science-oriented. Some allow for learning outside the lab, such as agricultural business and economics and agricultural communications. No matter their interests, there is a place for women in the College of Agriculture.

Helping students find their place within the college and improving the lives of other people is what Wright describes as the best part of her job. This sentiment is something that encompasses the mission of Auburn as a land-grant university. The university’s emphasis on learning practical skills and using them to help other people is deeply woven into its agriculture curriculum. This idea is at the heart of the land-grant mission and why women like Wright continue to serve the College of Agriculture.