Wilderness and Civilization Program
Faculty & Staff

Wilderness and Civilization faculty are from the College of Forestry and Conservation, College of Arts and Sciences, and School of Fine Arts. Among them are award-winning poets, internationally-renowned scientists, inspiring artists, published writers, and a former Congressman. Faculty bring unique experience and expertise to the program, and share a remarkable dedication to teaching and effective students learning.

Paul Alaback, Associate Professor of Forest Ecology, College of Forestry & Conservation
Ph.D. Forest Science, Oregon State University (1980) B.S. Botany, University of Washington (1976). Paul worked as a Research Ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service in Juneau, Alaska before joining the faculty at the School of Forestry. He specializes in the ecology of temperate forests, landscape ecology, and the application of ecological theories and principles to the conservation of wildlands, and conducts research in Coastal Alaska and British Columbia, Patagonia, and the Northern Rockies.
Issues in Wilderness Ecology FOR 271 and Wilderness and Civilization Field Studies I & II FOR 273

Laurie Ashley, Program Coordinator and Instructor, Wilderness Institute, College of Forestry & Conservation
M.S. Resource Conservation, University of Montana (2005), B.A. Biology-Botany, University of Montana (1998). Laurie is an alum of the Wilderness and Civilization program and now teaches for the program in the classroom and field. Her courses focus on understanding protected areas, working landscapes, and wildland issues from multiple perspectives and within an historic and international context. Laurie’s interests include international and domestic conservation and protected area management, participatory decision-making, natural history, and exploring the mountains of the western US.
Wilderness and Civilization I & II FOR 373, Wilderness and Civilization
Field Studies I & II FOR 273, Wildlands Community Project FOR 398, Yellowstone Studies FOR274

Mary Ann Bonjorni, Associate Professor of Fine Arts, School of Fine Arts
M.F.A. Fine Arts, University of California Santa Barbara (1986) B.A. Fine Arts, Central Washington University (1981). Mary Ann does large-scale multi-media painting constructions and site sculpture focused on re-mything the dominant themes of manifest destiny. Her teaching within the Wilderness and Civilization program involves student visualization of potential means for resolving inefficient intersections between wildlands and human society.
Dream Solutions ART 495

Clint Carroll, Native American Studies Instructor, College of Arts and Sciences
B.A. Anthropology/American Indian Studies, University of Arizona (2003); Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley. Clint is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at UC Berkeley. His doctoral work focuses on the intersection of traditional ecological knowledge and tribal environmental programs in the Cherokee Nation to promote community involvement and input in local environmental decision making. He is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.
Ecological Perspective of Native Americans NAS 303E

Rich Clow, Professor of Native American Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
Ph.D. History, University of New Mexico (1977); M.A. History, University of South Dakota (1972); B.S. History, University of South Dakota (1971). Rich teaches courses on Native American history, sovereignty, and environmental perspectives. His research focuses on Northern Plains peoples and he is currently working on a history of the Rosebud Reservation (1880-1940) in South Dakota.
Ecological Perspective of Native Americans NAS 303E

Louise Economides, Assistant Professor of English, College of Arts and Sciences
Ph.D., Indiana University (2003). Louise's teaching interests include Romantic literature, ecocriticism, phenomenology postmodernism, literature and science. She is currently preparing book manuscripts on the Romantic poets and contemporary environmental politics and philosophy.
Literature and the Environment ENGL 371

David Moore, Professor of Liberal Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
Ph.D. English, University of Washington, 1994, (specializing in American Literature, Native American Literature, and Critical Theory); M.A. English, University of South Dakota, 1980; B.A. English, University of South Dakota, 1974. David's teaching and research interests include 19th Century and Post WWII American literature, Native American literatures, and Literary theory.
Literature and the Environment ENGL 371

Mike Patterson, Assistant Professor of Wildlife Biology and Recreation Management, College of Forestry & Conservation
Ph.D. Forestry (Outdoor Recreation), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1993); M.S. Forestry (Outdoor Recreation), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1988); B.S. Forestry (Wildlife), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1985). Mike's research focuses on the (1) human experiences with wildlife and wildlands, (2) social constructions, meanings, and values that these experiences reflect and create, and (3) social conflict that occurs as a consequence of differences in social constructions and meanings. He also works on the role of social science in collaborative resource management and qualitative research methodology.
Conservation of Wilderness, Wild Rivers, and National Parks RECM 370S

Nicky Phear, Wilderness Studies Instructor, Wilderness Institute, College of Forestry & Conservation (on leave AY2007-2008)
M.S. Environmental Studies, University of Montana (1997); B.A. Psychology, University of Pennsylvania (1990). Nicky's interests focus on public lands management, natural resource policy, wilderness ethics and philosophy, and regional conservation issues. In addition to her work with the Wilderness Institute, Nicky is President of the Wild Rockies Field Institute and a graduate advisor for Prescott College's Master of Arts Program.

Sarah Potenza, Program Associate, Wilderness Institute, College of Forestry & Conservation
M.S. Resource Conservation, International Conservation and Development, University of Montana (2007); B.A. Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz (1999). Sarah works with Wilderness and Civilazation students in the field to teach natural history, botany, and wilderness issues. Her M.S. research focused on the effects of action-oriented participatory education to promote sustainable agriculture in Honduras. Sarah's interests include field-based learning, participatory education, international conservation and development, botany and sustainable agriculture.
Wilderness and Civilization Field Studies I & II FOR 273

Pat Williams, Senior Fellow/Regional Policy Associate, O'Conner Center for the Rocky Mountain West
Ph.D. Carroll College (Honorary); Postgraduate work in Education, Montana State University and Western Montana College; B.S. Business of Administration, University of Denver (1961). Pat served Montana in the U.S. Congress from 1979 to 1997, and currently works on regional policy issues for the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West. Pat teaches courses on contemporary issues, political science, civics, and regionalism in the Rocky Mountain West. He hosts a monthly public radio program and writes newspaper columns and public radio commentary on a regular basis.
Montana Wilderness Policy and Politics FOR 495

Laurie Yung, Director, Wilderness Institute, College of Forestry & Conservation
Ph.D. Forestry, University of Montana (2003); M.S. Environmental Studies, University of Oregon (1993); B.A. Psychology and Environmental Studies, University of California Santa Barbara (1991). Laurie currently serves as Director of the Wilderness Institute and teaches conservation policy and social science courses. Laurie's dissertation research examined the politics of cross-boundary conservation on the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana. Her research interests include: conservation politics, citizen science, and community-wildland relationships.
Conservation of Wilderness, Wild Rivers, and National Parks RECM 370S

Wilderness Institute
College of Forestry and Conservation
The University of Montana
Missoula, Montana 59812
Tel: (406)243-5361; E-mail: wi@forestry.umt.edu