The Faculty
The core group of faculty is a select group of teaching and research professionals drawn from the larger campus. Chosen for their outstanding teaching skills, these dedicated women and men also engage in cutting-edge research in their respective fields. Most faculty work in both environmental sciences and in another NAU department, providing students access to a wide variety of faculty interests and expertise.
- R. Scott Anderson, Ph.D.: Paleoecology, Forest history. Environmental Sciences Program Coordinator.
- Diana Elder Anderson, Ph.D.: Geomorphology, Atmospheric science
- Brett G. Dickson, Ph.D.: Wildlife and Landscape Ecology
- Ron Hiebert, Ph.D.: Director, CPCESU
- Nancy Collins Johnson, Ph.D.: Mycorrhizae and soil ecology
- Darrell Kaufman, Ph.D.: Quaternary geology
- Angela Moline, Ph.D.: Aquatic ecosystem conservation and management
- Erik Nielsen, Ph.D.: Environmental Studies, Policy and Management
- Michael Ort, Ph.D.: Recent Volcanology, Isotope Geochemistry.
- Rod Parnell, Ph.D.: Hydrogeochemistry, Biogeochemistry
- Marin Robinson, Ph.D.: Physical and atmospheric chemistry
- Thomas Sisk, Ph.D.: Ecology, Conservation biology, Director M.S. ES&P program
- Abe Springer, Ph.D.: Hydrogeology. Director, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability.
Other NAU faculty members are formally affiliated with environmental programs and lend their expertise:
- William Auberle, Ph.D., Physical and Environmental Engineering
- Marcus Ford, Ph.D., Humanities, Arts and Religious Studies
- Lea Parker, MA: Environmental communication
- David Schlosberg, Ph.D.: Environmental politics, Environmental Studies Coordinator
- Zachary Smith, Ph.D.: Environmental policy
- Tad Theimer, Ph.D., Vertebrate Ecology
- Jacqueline Vaughn, Ph.D., Environmental policy/Ecological restoration
A large adjunct faculty is drawn from the local professional community, including employees of the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and other agencies. Adjunct faculty may also serve as directors of study for our M.S. program.
- Bernardo Aguilar, Ph.D., Cultural and Regional Studies, Prescott College
- Kenneth Cole, Ph.D., Research Ecologist, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center
- Timothy Crews, Ph.D., Professor of Agroecology, Prescott College
- Chris Lauver, Ph.D., Quantitative Ecologist, Southern Colorado Plateau Network Inventory & Monitoring Program, National Park Service
- Mark Miller, Ph.D., Ecologist, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center
- David Mattson, Ph.D., Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, Rocky Mountain Research Station
- Dave Ostergren, Ph.D., Director, Environmental Education Graduate Program Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, Goshen College
- Mark Sogge, Ecologist and Station Leader, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center
- Lisa Thomas, MS., Program Manager, Southern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Program, National Park Service
- Yaguang Xu, Ph.D., Remote Sensing and GIS Specialist, ForestERA Project, NAU
In addition to these faculty who have formal appointments with environmental programs, there are scores of other faculty members across all of NAU's colleges teaching courses that have foci on the environment. These faculty form a loose alliance called the Ponderosa Group.
