In Arica’s courses students explore how human activities interact with the natural world and learn how to develop sustainable solutions that protect and enhance natural resources. Whether hiking to an alpine lake, attending a local watershed meeting, conducting an interview, or writing a report, students are engaged in practicing their professional pursuits. Students learn how to analyze data, how to craft clear and compelling arguments, and how to effectively work in teams to problem-solve real-life environmental challenges throughout the Greater Yellowstone and High Divide regions. With specific training in GIS, conflict resolution, and communication, students develop skills that will serve them beyond the classroom.
Arica is an Associate Professor of Environmental Sustainability. Arica specializes in water management, human dimensions of global change, and science communication. She draws on her interdisciplinary education – a B.A. in Environmental Science, a M.S. in Hydrology, and a Ph.D. in Human-Environment Geography – to integrate both physical and social science skills in her own research and in her courses.
Courses include:
Arica’s research seeks to enhance water resources for local needs and create more just transitions to renewable energy. In Montana, Arica is working with her students to study social perceptions of water quality and contamination in the Upper Clark Fork River Watershed.
In Nepal, Arica studies how hydropower development in mountain river basins impacts river flows and the people who depend on them. Arica connects her science with decision-makers to ensure these hydropower projects work for, not against, rural mountain communities.
Dr. Neil Foley teaches classes in Physics and Environmental Geophysics at Montana Western. He emphasizes cross-disciplinary connections (for example, the similarities between geophysical techniques and biomedical imaging) to engage students from Western’s many departments. A geologist by background and disposition, he loves to apply physics in the field, especially using Western’s new Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) system. Our ERT is a research-grade system that is the same as used by land management agencies, civil engineers, and professional scientists. Students in Neil’s classes learn theory, practice, and effective communication of geophysical techniques.
He earned a BA in Geology from Carleton College, in Minnesota. His Ph.D. work, at University of California, Santa Cruz, focused on using geophysical techniques to image beneath permafrost and glaciers in the cryosphere. The bulk of this work was done over three seasons in Antarctica, but he also has done field campaigns to Artic Alaska, Iceland, and a research cruise in the Pacific Ocean.
For fun, Neil enjoys taking advantage of the natural beauty of Southwest Montana, especially by hiking and biking. Indoors, he loves to cook and play board games.
Dr. Spruce Schoenemann is a Professor of Geology, Geochemistry, and Climate Science. He earned his B.A. in Geology and Environmental Studies from Whitman College, and received his doctorate in Paleoclimate and Isotope Geochemistry from the University of Washington. Prior to coming to Montana Western, he spent years studying polar regions and reconstructing climate from ice cores. His research goals are to understand the past climate to provide context for the climate changes of today and the future. He does this by utilizing environmental archives of climate like ice cores, lake sediments, glacier deposits, tree rings and isotopes. Spruce is committed to delivering an experiential, hands-on education for his students. His courses often include hikes, overnight trips, visits to national parks and field study trips throughout Beaverhead County and the region. Spruce is an avid outdoor enthusiast with experience leading sailing courses, backcountry trail crews and experiential education programs. He also enjoys snowboarding, climbing, mountain biking and camping with his family.
Dr. Rob Thomas is a Professor of Geology, Regents’ Professor and Carnegie U.S. Professor. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, recipient of the Humboldt State University Distinguished Alumni Award, the University of Montana Geoscience Alumnus Award, the Geological Society of America Distinguished Service Award, and co-recipient of the Mike Malone Montana Educator of the Year Award.
He earned B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in geology from Humboldt State University, the University of Montana and the University of Washington. His professional work focuses on environmental sedimentology, geology of Yellowstone, Cambrian mass extinctions and geoscience education. He has authored or co-authored over 60 publications, including the book, Roadside Geology of Yellowstone Country. His publications can be accessed at: https://umwestern.academia.edu/RobThomas.
Rob’s international experience includes teaching mountain environments to Sherpa mountain guides near Mt. Everest in Nepal, shipboard students on the global voyage of Semester at Sea, and native Caribbean students at St. George’s University in Grenada. He led GeoVenture field trips for the Geological Society of America for 10 years, has taught the Princeton University (YBRA) geology field camp for over 30 years, and runs layperson geology trips in Yellowstone National Park for Yellowstone Forever.
Rob is deeply passionate about experiential education and uses Montana Western’s unique Experience One immersion scheduling to get his students working in the field on projects that make a real and positive impact on the environment. Rob’s personal passions are family, mountain recreation and playing guitar around a campfire.
Dr. Lorrie Carnes is an Assistant Professor of Geomorphology. She earned a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Lehigh University and a doctorate in Geological Sciences from Arizona State University. She specializes in pairing quantitative field techniques, such as cosmogenic radionuclides, and computational analyses to constrain ages and rates of landscape evolution. Her research explores the influence of tectonics on the dynamic relationship between erosion rates and soil production rates across a range of diverse landscapes.
Her courses at UMW include:
– Surface Processes
– Hydrology
– Soil Science
– Environmental Remote Sensing and ArcGIS
– Introduction to Geology
Beyond the course curriculum, students learn how to plan fieldwork campaigns, navigate challenges associated with working in variable conditions, and collect original datasets to explore the natural processes underpinning Earth’s landscapes. Additionally, industry-standard software, such as ArcGIS, Excel, and MatLab, are integrated into courses to develop technical skillsets that are needed by the environmental science workforce.
