Core faculty

Dr. Rebecca Austin
Professor of Anthropology and Environment & Sustainability

Areas of expertise:

  • Environmental anthropology 
  • Applied anthropology 
  • Cultural ecology 
  • Community-based conservation 
  • Cultural resource ethnography 
  • Public involvement 
  • Social impact assessment 
  • Curriculum design 
  • Program evaluation 
  • Environmental justice 
  • Southwest U.S.
  • Philippines
  • Traditional ecological knowledge 

Education 

  • Ph.D., Anthropology, University of Georgia, 2003 
  • M.A., Applied Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, 1989 
  • B.A., Fort Lewis College, 1980 

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7346
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Dr. Jared Beeton
Chair & Associate Professor of Environment & Sustainability

Expertise

  • Environmental geography

Education

  • PhD in Geography, University of Kansas
  • MA in Earth Sciences, University of Northern Colorado
  • BS in Park Resource Management

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-6774
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Dr. Michael Drake
Assistant Professor of Environment & Sustainability

Areas of Expertise

  • Conservation Ecology
  • Wildlife Governance
  • Human Dimensions of Wildlife
  • Conservation Economics

Education

  • PhD: Environmental Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, 2021
  • MS: Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, North Carolina State University, 2016
  • BA: Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 2012

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-6024
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Dr. Kathleen Hilimire
Associate Professor of Environment & Sustainability

Expertise

  • Environmental conservation in food systems
  • Alternative agricultural practices
  • Food systems pedagogy
  • Innovative methods for agricultural nutrient management
  • Integrated crop/livestock agriculture

Education

  • Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz, 2011
  • M.A., University of California, Santa Cruz, 2009
  • B.A., Pitzer College, 2003

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-6169
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Dr. Michelle Larkins
Assistant Professor of Environment & Sustainability

Areas of Expertise

  • Environmental Justice
  • Gender and Environment
  • Community Engagement and Community-based research
  • Sustainable Agrifood Systems
  • Teaching and Learning of Sustainability

Education

  • Ph.D. Community Sustainability, Michigan State University, 2017
  • M.S. Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, 2011
  • BA: Environmental Policy, Michigan State University, 2005

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-6043
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Dr. Kaitlin Mattos
Assistant Professor of Environment & Sustainability
Teacher Education

Areas of Expertise 

  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Sustainable Development
  • Green Infrastructure
  • Natural Resources Management
  • Watershed Management
  • Water, sanitation, and hygiene
  • Community Engagement
  • Science Communication

Education 

  • Ph.D., Environmental Engineering, University of Colorado, 2021
  • M.S., Environmental Engineering, University of Colorado, 2017
  • B.A., Environmental Studies, Washington University in St. Louis, 2009

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-6316
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Dr. Pete McCormick
Associate Provost, Academic Affairs
Professor, Environment & Sustainability

Professional Interests

  • Historical landscape change and land use
  • Cultural geography and cultural ecology
  • Sense of Place
  • Race, Place, and Landscape
  • Post colonialism and literary geography
  • American Southwest and Southern Plains
  • Latin America
  • Mediterranean

Education

  • Ph.D., 1999, University of Oklahoma
  • M.A., 1995, Northern Arizona University
  • B.G.S., 1993, University of Kansas

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7595
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Dr. Heidi Steltzer
Coordinator for the Environmental Science Degree Program and Professor of Biology

Expertise:

  • Environmental Science
  • Science and Society
  • Climate Change Impacts
  • Ecosystem Ecology
  • Environmental Health
  • Phenology

Education:

  • Ph.D., Ecosystem Ecology, University of Colorado, 1999
  • B.S., Biology, Duke University, 1993

Contact:

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Affiliate faculty

Dr. Ruth Alminas
Chair/Associate Professor of Political Science

Interests

  • Armed Conflict and Conflict Management
  • Internal Displacement
  • Nongovernmental Organizations
  • Organizational Theory
  • Social Network Analysis

Education

  • Ph.D., Political Science, University of Arizona, 2012
  • M.A., Political Science, University of Arizona, 2008
  • M.A., Religion, University of Chicago Divinity School, 2005
  • B.A., Religious Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2000

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-6166
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Dr. Keri Brandt Off
Professor of Sociology & Gender & Sexuality Studies

Expertise

  • Social Theory
  • Relations between humans and the more-than-human world
  • Regenerative Food Systems
  • Gender & Sexuality Studies

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Colorado, 2005
  • B.A., Fort Lewis College, 1995

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7343
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Dr. Christie Chatterley
Associate Professor of Physics & Engineering

Expertise

  • Water Quality Analysis and Treatment
  • On-Site Water and Sanitation for Low-Income Country Applications
  • Contextual Factor Influence on Technology Uptake
  • Monitoring and Evaluation of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Interventions

Education

  • Ph.D., Civil/Environmental Engineering, University of Colorado - Boulder, 2013
  • M.S., Civil/Environmental Engineering, University of Colorado - Boulder, 2009
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Idaho State University, 2003

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7512
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Dr. Rebecca Clausen
Professor of Sociology & Human Services

Expertise

  • Environmental Sociology
  • Human Ecology
  • Global Food Systems
  • Political Economy

Education

  • Ph.D., Sociology, University of Oregon, 2008
  • M.S., Environmental Studies, University of Oregon, 2003
  • B.S., Natural Resource Management, Conservation Ecology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 1999

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7237
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Dr. Melissa Clutter
Assistant Professor of Geosciences

Expertise:

  • Groundwater and subsurface modeling
  • Field measurement design
  • Science communication
  • Data worth analysis

Education

  • PhD University of Arizona, Hydrology 2019
  • Graduate Certificate, University of Arizona, College Teaching 2019
  • Graduate Certificate, University of Arizona, Connecting Environmental Science and Decision-Making 2019
  • MS University of Arizona, Soil Water and Environmental Science 2016
  • BS Fort Lewis College, Environmental Geology 2011

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-6170
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Dr. Callie Cole
Associate Professor of Chemistry

Expertise

  • Analytical Chemistry (Mass Spectrometry, Atomic Emission Spectroscopy, and Chromatography)
  • Astrochemistry
  • Chemical Education
  • Science Communication & Community Engagement

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Colorado, Boulder, 2015
  • B.S., University of Montana, 2010
     

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-6446
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Dr. Cynthia Dott
Professor of Biology

Expertise 

  • Ecology and dynamics of river systems
  • Riparian/floodplain forest habitat
  • Riparian vegetation response to changing hydrology, geomorphology and disturbance regimes
  • Links between vegetation and disturbance history
  • Aquatic ecology
  • Scientific teaching and cooperative learning methodology in the classroom

Education 

  • Ph.D., Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1996 
  • Master of Science, Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1990 
  • Bachelor of Arts, Biology, The Colorado College, 1985 

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7322
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Dr. Janine Fitzgerald
Professor of Sociology & Human Services

Areas of expertise

  • Borders and languages
  • Narrative medicine
  • Village aid to Latin America

Education

  • Ph.D., Sociology, The University of New Mexico, 1996
  • M.A., Latin American Studies, The University of New Mexico, 1990
  • B.A., Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1987

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7063
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Dr. Gary Gianniny
Professor of Geosciences

Expertise:

  • Climatic vs. intrinsic controls on sedimentation in icehouse conditions
  • Sequence stratigraphy for aquifer and reservoir characterization and prediction
  • Tectonics and sedimentation in the southwestern U.S.

Education:

  • Ph.D., Geology, University of Wisconsin, 1995
  • Master of Science, Geology, University of Wisconsin, 1990
  • Bachelor of Arts, Geology, Colorado College, 1983

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7254
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Dr. Andrew Gulliford
Professor of History & Environmental Studies

Expertise:

  • Public History
  • History of the American West
  • Environmental History
  • Native American History
  • Museums & Historic Preservation
  • American Wilderness
  • History of American National Parks

Education:

  • Ph.D., Bowling Green State University, 1986
  • M.A.T., The Colorado College, 1976
  • B.A., The Colorado College, 1975

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7011
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Dr. Larry Hartsfield
Professor of English

Expertise

  • American literature
  • Ecocritical theory
  • Literary and media theory
  • Literature of the environment
  • Media studies
  • Mid-19th to early 20th century American cultural history
  • Popular culture
  • Shakespeare

Education

  • Ph.D., American Civilization, University of Texas at Austin, 1982
  • M.A., English, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 1976
  • B.A., English, Abilene Christian University, 1974

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7478
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Dr. Jonathan Harvey
Chair & Associate Professor of Geosciences

Expertise 

  • Geomorphology 
  • Neotectonics 
  • Landscape evolution 
  • Meteorology and hydrology of the western US 
  • Remote sensing and GIS applied to geomorphic and environmental change 

 Education 

  • Ph.D., Earth Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2015 
  • M.S., Geology, Utah State University, 2009 
  • B.S., Geography/Meteorology, Ohio University, 2007 

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7129
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Dr. Jake Kurzweil
Adjunct Instructor of Environment and Sustainability

Interests: 

  • Watershed hydrology
  • Snow science
  • Fire ecology
  • Remote sensing
  • Process-based restoration
  • STEM education
  • Backcountry snowboarding 
  • Mountain biking
  • Playing the banjo

Education:

  • B.S., Cum Laude, Environmental Science and Sociology, University of Oregon, 2012
  • M.S., Hydrology, Colorado School of Mines, 2018
  • Ph.D., Hydrology, Colorado School of Mines, 2021

Contact:

Phone Icon 415-302-9450
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Dr. Lorraine Taylor
Associate Professor of Tourism and Hospitality Management

Expertise 

  • Hospitality management 
  • Sustainable tourism  
  • Travel motivations and behavior 

Education 

  • Ph.D., Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University, 2014 
  • M.S., Advertising, University of Illinois, 2003 
  • B.S., Advertising, University of Illinois, 2002 

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7344
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Elicia Whittlesey
Adjunct Instructor of Environment & Sustainability

Areas of expertise

  • Food & farming systems
  • Political ecology

Education

  • Master of Arts, Geography, University of Minnesota, 2010
  • Bachelor of Arts, Environmental Analysis, Pomona College, 2007

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-6345
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