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College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 
Agricultural and Human Sciences

Sarah Kirby, PhD

SK

Professor; Interim Extension Director and Associate Dean

Housing Specialist

4101 Beryl Road, 240E

919-515-9154

Bio

Dr. Kirby is an Assistant Director for NC State Extension, Professor, and FCS Program Leader in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences. She is the State Coordinator for the Healthy Homes Partnership which focuses on improving the health and safety of children and their caregivers in homes by reducing housing hazards that cause injury and disease. Dr. Kirby is actively involved in educational programs related to preparation, response and recovery after natural disasters. She is the program coordinator for MyPI North Carolina, a youth preparedness, leadership and educational outreach program. Dr. Kirby is a member of the AHS graduate faculty and currently teaches AEHS 540, Environmental Influences on the Family.

Programs and Initiatives

Primary Teaching Responsibilities

  • AEHS 540: Environmental Influences on the Family

Contributing Websites

Professional Honors/Offices/Recognitions

  • 2023 – Distinguished Service Award, Housing Education & Research Association
  • 2021 – Outstanding Graduate Instructor, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • 2019 – GoodHeart-Wilcox Secondary Education Teaching Award, Housing Education and Research Association
  • 2015 – Housing Impact Individual Award, Housing Education and Research Association
  • 2015 – Educational Technology Award, Georgia Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
  • 2015 – Green Building Award, Raleigh Environmental Award
  • 2014 – Housing Impact Team Award, Housing Education and Research Association
  • 2012 – Extension Housing Outreach Team Award, Housing Education and Research Association
  • 2010 – Outstanding Extension Service Award recipient, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • 2010 – Academy of Outstanding Faculty Engaged in Extension, NC State
  • 2010 – Alumni Outstanding Extension Service Award, NC State

Selected Publications

  • Carswell, A., Johnson, P., and Kirby, S.D. (under review). Disaster affected households and their subsequent preparedness measures. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.
  • Kirby, S.D. (2021). Housing and Disasters, Special Edition of Housing and Society. 48(2). Print ISSN 0888-2746, Online ISSN 2376-0923, Volume 48, 2021.
  • Kirby, S.D. (2021). Introduction to the special issue on housing and disasters. Housing and Society. 48(2), 107-113. doi/full/10.1080/08882746.2020.1870299.
  • Anacker, K.B., Carswell, A.T., Kirby, S.D. & Tremblay, K.R. (2018). Introduction to Housing, Second Edition. ISBN-9780820349688|ISBN 9780820349695.
  • Kirby, S., & Hardison-Moody, A. (2018). Housing and Disasters. In K. B. Anacker, A. T. Carswell, S. D. Kirby, & K. R. Tremblay (Eds.), Introduction to Housing (2nd edition). Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press.
  • Langham, L., Singh, A., Kirby, S., Parvanta, S., Ziemian, M., & Coleman, D. (2016). Increasing the Effectiveness of Residential Energy Efficiency Programs. In Innovations in Home Energy Use: A Sourcebook for Behavior Change (pp. 169–190). https://doi.org/10.3768/rtipress.2015.bk.0015.1512.8
  • Kirby, Sarah & Guin, Autumn & Chilcote, Amy. (2015). Creating the next generation of residential energy stewards using the energy transformation curriculum. Housing and Society. 42. 1-9. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08882746.2015.1121687
  • Kirby, S.D., Guin, A.H. & Langham, L. (2015). Energy education incentives: Evaluating the impact of consumer energy kits. Journal of Extension. 53(1), https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol53/iss1/16/
  • Kirby, S.D., Guin, A.H., Langham, L., & Chilcote, A. (2014). Exploring the impact of the e-conservation residential energy audit program. Housing and Society. 41(1), 71-88. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08882746.2014.11430622 
  • Kirby, S. D., & Chilcote, A. G. (2014). Energy Transformation: Teaching Youth About Energy Efficiency While Meeting Science Essential Standards. The Journal of Extension. 52(1), Article 28. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol52/iss1/28 

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Education

BS Housing Oklahoma State University

MS Housing, Design, and Consumer Studies Oklahoma State University

PhD Human Environmental Sciences with emphasis in Housing and Gerontology Oklahoma State University

Area(s) of Expertise

  • Residential Energy Management
  • Healthy Homes
  • Accessible Housing
  • Disaster Readiness, Response and Recovery

Grants

Date: 09/01/19 - 2/28/23
Amount: $41,554.00
Funding Agencies: USDA - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

The project is a continuation of the Middle School Healthy Homes Curriculum and will seek to expand national implementation of the curriculum into middle school science and family and consumer science classes across the nation.

Date: 09/01/17 - 8/31/20
Amount: $26,871.00
Funding Agencies: USDA - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

This project will create healthy homes two new curriculum modules for two specific groups: 1. Teen parents involved in the VIP (Very Important Parents) program -- Curriculum modules will address specific housing related health and safety hazards for young children in the home. 2. Middle school youth -- Curriculum modules will address housing related hazards that youth can identify and control and that reinforce science topics in the NC school curriculum standards. The project will pilot test the curriculum and report findings and revise. The project will develop materials for Limited English Proficiency populations.

Date: 09/01/16 - 4/01/18
Amount: $13,140.00
Funding Agencies: USDA - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

This project will create healthy homes three curriculum modules for two specific groups: 1. Teen parents involved in the VIP (Very Important Parents) program -- Curriculum modules will address specific housing related health and safety hazards for young children in the home. 2. Middle school youth -- Curriculum modules will address housing related hazards that youth can identify and control and that reinforce science topics in the NC school curriculum standards.

Date: 01/01/14 - 6/30/15
Amount: $9,998.00
Funding Agencies: Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities former National Association of State Universities

This proposal is to fund the eXtension Home Energy Community of Practice.

Date: 11/01/12 - 6/30/15
Amount: $363,937.00
Funding Agencies: US Dept. of Energy (DOE)

The NCSU Cooperative Extension Service (NCCES) Consumer Energy Education Program, E-Conservation, was developed by SEO and NCCES to inform and educate North Carolina (NC) consumers and families about ways to both reduce energy use and increase energy efficiency in their homes. With over four million housing units in NC, existing homes offer a significant opportunity for energy conservation. There are a number of well developed programs for new homes including the Energy Star program and the NC Healthy Built Homes Program, but there are few developed energy conservation programs and services for those living in existing homes. The E-Conservation program is designed to provide consumers living in existing homes with information and strategies to reduce their home energy consumption and assist them in saving money. The program will provide a range of educational resources and distribute energy tools and services.

Date: 03/01/14 - 5/31/15
Amount: $37,500.00
Funding Agencies: US Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD)

NCCE will partner with the NC Human Resources Commission to increase outreach efforts in order to generate more fair housing complaints from the general public. Extension agents in 10 counties will provide education/outreach services to underserved individuals, including immigrants and victims of domestic violence. Additionally, NCCE will partner to provide and deliver two in-house trainings on universal design from a fair housing perspective for the NC Human Resource Commission.

Date: 08/01/13 - 12/31/14
Amount: $24,999.00
Funding Agencies: Piedmont Natural Gas Foundation

This proposal seeks to train 4-H Field Faculty in the use of the Energy Transformation school enrichment curriculum. As a result of this training, the curriculum will be implemented by science and math teachers in 6th grade classrooms in 41 counties across the state.

Date: 11/01/12 - 12/31/14
Amount: $199,863.00
Funding Agencies: US Dept. of Energy (DOE)

The NCSU Cooperative Extension Service (NCCES) Consumer Energy Education Program, E-Conservation, was developed by SEO and NCCES to inform and educate North Carolina (NC) consumers and families about ways to both reduce energy use and increase energy efficiency in their homes. With over four million housing units in NC, existing homes offer a significant opportunity for energy conservation. There are a number of well developed programs for new homes including the Energy Star program and the NC Healthy Built Homes Program, but there are few developed energy conservation programs and services for those living in existing homes. The E-Conservation program is designed to provide consumers living in existing homes with information and strategies to reduce their home energy consumption and assist them in saving money. The program will provide a range of educational resources and distribute energy tools and services.

Date: 01/01/12 - 12/31/14
Amount: $22,368.00
Funding Agencies: US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA)

This project will continue the funding of the Home Energy Community of Practice for the year 2012. This CoP assists consumers in identifying best practices and energy saving techniques related to home energy. The CoP addresses energy efficiency in new and existing homes, as well as renewable alternatives.

Date: 07/01/11 - 12/31/12
Amount: $10,000.00
Funding Agencies: US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA)

This project will continue the work of the eXtension Home Energy Community of Practice. The funds used here will support travel for the work of the CoP as well as development of learning lessons for the public Home Energy eXtension site.


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