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Network

The School of the Environment includes people representing many departments, schools and colleges at Boise State, working together collaboratively to help solve some of the large environmental issues facing us today.

  • Kevin Feris, director, School of the Environment

    Kevin Feris

    Director

    Kevin’s research strives to understand how microbial communities respond to anthropogenic influences on natural ecosystems, including changes in climate, presence of chronic ecosystem stressors, and emerging pollutants.  Biotechnology research in my lab includes investigations into novel microbial systems for renewable energy generation, natural resource damage assessment, bioremediation, and biotechnology.

    Kevin’s research strives to understand how microbial communities respond to anthropogenic influences on natural ecosystems, including changes in climate, presence of chronic ecosystem stressors, and emerging pollutants.  Biotechnology research in my lab includes investigations into novel microbial systems for renewable energy generation, natural resource damage assessment, bioremediation, and biotechnology.

  • Emily Wakild

    Emily Wakild

    Co-Director

    Emily Wakild is Professor of History and Environmental Studies, as well as the Cecil D. Andrus Endowed Chair for Environment and Public Lands in the School of Public Service.  She earned her PhD in Latin American history from the University of Arizona in 2007 and joined the History Department at Boise State in 2012, moving to Environmental Studies in 2018.

    Emily Wakild is Professor of History and Environmental Studies, as well as the Cecil D. Andrus Endowed Chair for Environment and Public Lands in the School of Public Service.  She earned her PhD in Latin American history from the University of Arizona in 2007 and joined the History Department at Boise State in 2012, moving to Environmental Studies in 2018.

  • Alejandro Flores

    Alejandro Flores

    Co-Director

    Lejo’s research includes regional climate and hydrologic change, critical zone ecohydrology, remote sensing of terrestrial ecohydrology and application of modeling, simulation, and artificial intelligence/machine learning.

    Lejo’s research includes regional climate and hydrologic change, critical zone ecohydrology, remote sensing of terrestrial ecohydrology and application of modeling, simulation, and artificial intelligence/machine learning.

  • Rebecca Som Castellano

    Rebecca Som Castellano

    Interim Director for HES

    Rebecca is a rural studies and agrifood system scholar. Using a range of methodological approaches, she examines how experiences with environmental and agrifood system change are shaped by inequality and marginalization.

    Rebecca is a rural studies and agrifood system scholar. Using a range of methodological approaches, she examines how experiences with environmental and agrifood system change are shaped by inequality and marginalization.

  • Jodi Brandt

    Jodi Brandt

    Associate Professor, HES and SOE

    Jodi is the leader of LUL@BSU — the Land Use Lab at Boise State University. She is a land-use scientist who studies landscape change and its drivers, and the impacts of landscape change on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

    Jodi is the leader of LUL@BSU — the Land Use Lab at Boise State University. She is a land-use scientist who studies landscape change and its drivers, and the impacts of landscape change on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

  • Megan Cattau

    Megan Cattau

    Associate Professor, HES and SOE

    Megan is interested in how interacting anthropogenic and biophysical factors alter disturbance regimes and subsequent recovery, and in evaluating the efficacy of intervention options in increasing social-ecological resilience.

    Megan is interested in how interacting anthropogenic and biophysical factors alter disturbance regimes and subsequent recovery, and in evaluating the efficacy of intervention options in increasing social-ecological resilience.

  • Vicken Hillis

    Vicken Hillis

    Associate Professor, HES and SOE

    Vicken studies human behavioral and institutional change in environmental contexts, using quantitative surveys, behavioral experiments, computational modeling, and social-ecological network analysis.

    Vicken studies human behavioral and institutional change in environmental contexts, using quantitative surveys, behavioral experiments, computational modeling, and social-ecological network analysis.

  • Kelly Hopping

    Kelly Hopping

    Associate Professor, HES and SOE

    Kelly studies how environmental and social changes are affecting ecosystems and rural livelihoods, particularly in mountain and pastoral regions.

    Kelly studies how environmental and social changes are affecting ecosystems and rural livelihoods, particularly in mountain and pastoral regions.

  • Matt Williamson

    Matt Williamson

    Associate Professor, HES and SOE

    Matt is a conservation scientist interested in understanding how the interactions between people, their environment, and the institutions that govern them inspire (or inhibit) conservation action and how that impacts their effectiveness.

    Matt is a conservation scientist interested in understanding how the interactions between people, their environment, and the institutions that govern them inspire (or inhibit) conservation action and how that impacts their effectiveness.