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.
