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.
- Scott Anderson, Ph.D., Environmental Sciences Director and Professor. Paleoecology, Forest history.
- Diana Elder Anderson, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Geomorphology, Atmospheric science.
- Michael Cline, Ph. D., Visiting Assistant Professor, Environmental Geography, Geomorphology.
- Brett G. Dickson, Ph.D., Assitant Research Professor, Wildlife and Landscape Ecology.
- Ron Hiebert, Ph.D., Director, CPCESU.
- Deborah Huntzinger, Ph.D. Climate Sciences. Graduate Coordinator PSM Climate Science and Solutions Program.
- Nancy Collins Johnson, Ph.D., Mycorrhizae and soil ecology (on sabbatical Academic Year 11_12)
- Darrell Kaufman, Ph.D., Quaternary geology and Climate Science (on sabbatical Academic Year 11_12)
- 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., Environmental Studies Director, Environmental Caucus Chair, and Professor. Hydrogeochemistry, Biogeochemistry.
- Thomas Sisk, Ph.D., Ecology, Conservation biology. Charles Olajos and Ted Goslow Chair of Environmental Science and Policy.
- Abe Springer, Ph.D., Hydrogeology. Professor and Past Director, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability.
- Jacqueline Vaughn, Ph.D., Environmental policy/Ecological restoration. (on sabbatical Academic Year 11_12)
Other NAU faculty members are formally affiliated and allied with environmental programs and lend their expertise:
- Thomas Acker, Ph.D., Director, NAU's Sustainable Energy Solutions Group, NAU Engineering.
- William Auberle, Ph.D., Physical and Environmental Engineering.
- Rom Coles, Ph.D. McAllister Chair in Community, Culture & Environment, NAU.
- Peter Friederici, M.S. Environmental Education with focus in Environmental Writing. Science and Environmental Stories and Journalism. NAU School of Communications.
- Julie M. Mueller, Ph.D. Environmental Economics and Econometrics, NAU Franke College of Business.
- Marin Robinson, Ph.D.: Physical and atmospheric chemistry, NAU Chemistry Chair.
- Shelley Silbert, M.S. in Watershed Management. Instructor, and Director of Strategic Environmental Initiatives.
- Zachary Smith, Ph.D.: Environmental policy. Regents' Professor. NAU Politics and International Affairs.
- Tad Theimer, Ph.D., Vertebrate Ecology, NAU Biology.
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.
- Ethan Aumack, MS Environmental Sciences & Policy, NAU. Landscape Conservation and Ecosystem Restoration, Grand Canyon Trust.
- Bernardo Aguilar, Ph.D., Cultural and Regional Studies, Prescott College
- Anne Brasher, Ph.D., Research Aquatic Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey Water Science Center
- Randy Bangert, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, Trinidad State Junior College
- Judy Bischoff, Ph.D. Research Coordinator, Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit, National Park Service
- Bala Chaudhary, Ph.D. Ecology of mycorrhizal fungi in natural and managed ecosystems, NAU Biology
- Kenneth Cole, Ph.D., Research Ecologist, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center
- Timothy Crews, Ph.D., Professor of Agroecology, Prescott College
- Mark Elson, Ph.D. Prehistoric Archaeology, settlement pattern analysis, ethnographic studies
- Kevin Hultine, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor, Ecology
- Chris Lauver, Ph.D., Quantitative Ecologist, Southern Colorado Plateau Network Inventory & Monitoring Program, National Park Service
- Vera Markgraf, Ph.D. South American and Southern Hemisphere paleoclimates and inter-hemispheric paleoclimate correlations. Late Quaternary palynology
- David Mattson, Ph.D., Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, Rocky Mountain Research Station
- Mark Miller, Ph.D., Ecologist, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center
- Aaryn Olsson, Ph.D., Remote Sensing and Landscape Ecology, Lab of Landscape Ecology and Conservation Biology, NAU
- Dave Ostergren, Ph.D., Director, Environmental Education Graduate Program Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, Goshen College
- Steven Sesnie, Ph.D. Spatial Ecologist, US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Albuquerque, NM
- 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, Geospatial Database Manager at Research and Innovation Technology Administration, USDOT
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 and conducting research that have foci on the environment. Graduate students in the interdisciplinary MS Environmental Sciences and Policy program can be advised by any NAU faculty and have historically been advised by faculty in Biology, Politics and International Affairs, Engineering and more. Graduate students often recruit committee members from partner agencies such as the USGS and National Park Service. Undergraduate students also find opportunities to participate in research projects and internships with faculty from across campus and in the greater Colorado Plateau community.
