Kathryn Engle

Dr. Kathryn Engle is Director of the Appalachian Center and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Kentucky. She earned her PhD in Sociology from UK in 2018, with research focusing on food system relocalization and community narratives in eastern Kentucky. Her work bridges academic scholarship with community engagement through organizations like Lend-A-Hand Center and Knox County Farmers' Market.

Research explores local food systems, nonprofit organizations, and community economies in Appalachia. She co-edits a volume on just transition in Appalachia with Dr. Shaunna Scott and coordinates the Grow Appalachia gardening program. Awarded a Kentucky Oral History Commission grant for 'Stinking Creek Stories' project documenting agricultural heritage.

Publications examine rural feminism, disaster memory, and community agriculture. Recent work includes collaborative initiatives on racial justice through the Sunup Initiative in Corbin, Kentucky.