Christine Lamanna

Dr. Christine Lamanna is a distinguished  researcher in sustainable agricultural development, with over fourteen years’ experience co-creating knowledge to transform global agrifood systems. Currently a Scientist at The University of Arizona’s School of Geography, Development & Environment, where she leads research on the intersection of Agrivoltaics, crop productivity, and climate resilience. Her work is  specifically tailored to smallholder farmer context In emerging markets, spanning  over fifteen countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. 

Prior to her role at the University of Arizona, Christine spent a decade as a Climate Adaptation Scientist at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in Nairobi, Kenya. During this time, she was instrumental in bridging the gap between field-level data and national policies, contributing to the development of five national Climate-smart Agriculture Investment Plans (CSAIPs) and multiple regional stakeholder platforms. Notably, she co-lead the implementation of Africa’s  first operational mini-grid agrivoltaics systems in Kenya and Tanzania, establishing a blueprint for the technology’s scalability on the continent.

Christine holds a Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona and B.S. in Astronomy & Physics from Haverford College.