Faculty Bios  

Academic Director: Dr. Angie Moline 

Angie Moline is the director of the Dorrance Summer Conservation Experience and a Lecturer in Environmental Science at Northern Arizona University.  She is an aquatic ecologist and her research focuses on the conservation and management of desert streams and springs. Angie weaves the landscape and ecology of the Colorado Plateau throughout her classes because students demonstrate a deeper level of understanding when academic topics are connected to this fascinating place. She has taught field-based courses across the western USA and Mexico for NAU, the Wild Rockies Field Institute, Prescott College, and Outward Bound.

Dr. George “Wolf” Gumerman 

Wolf Gumerman, Director of the University Honors Program and Professor of Anthropology at Northern Arizona University, is an archaeologist who applies his research to broader societal concerns, including collaborating with the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office to promote cultural preservation. Using archaeology and elder knowledge he connects Hopi youth with their past. The collaboration has produced four films and a museum exhibit that present the youth’s perspective on Hopi culture and history. Wolf also has a strong interest in food and culture stemming from his 20 years of research on the north coast of Peru and from his interest in sustainable food systems. He is Co-founder and past Co-editor for the Journal Heritage Management and publishes primarily on topics related to prehistoric foodways. Wolf teaches a range of interactive courses on composition and literature, archaeology, theory, human evolution, and food and culture.

Dr. Kelley Hays-Gilpin 

Kelley Hays-Gilpin is Professor of Anthropology at Northern Arizona University, and Curator of Anthropology at the Museum of Northern Arizona. She holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Arizona, and has nearly 30 years of experience studying rock art, pottery, and other visual arts in the Southwest. She has authored numerous articles and books, including Ambiguous Images: Gender and Rock Art (AltaMira Press), which won the 2005 Society for American Archaeology book award. Her current research focuses on the long-term histories of Hopi and Zuni communities and their relationships with land and water through the production of visual arts.

Robyn Martin 

Robyn S. Martin is a 4th generation native of Flagstaff.  Her NAU roots run deep: her grandmother earned her teaching certificate from NAU (then the Arizona Normal School) in 1922, her parents earned their education degrees from NAU (then Arizona State College) in the 1950s, and Robyn earned both her B.A. degree in English and M.A. Degree in English (Rhetoric and Professional Writing) from NAU.  When she’s not hiking a trail on the Peaks, the high desert, or stretching in a bikram yoga studio, Robyn can most likely be found running a river somewhere on the Colorado Plateau.  Robyn’s research and publications include ecological oral histories; some of that work was included in What Was Past and What Remains, a compilation of ecological oral histories gathered in Northern Arizona and  published by the University of Arizona Press in 2010.  She loves to teach in Honors and received the Outstanding Honors Instructor award in April 2011. Her specialties include argument, place-based, Southwestern and environmental issues and American studies in general.

Wayne Ranney 

Wayne Ranney’s passion for Southwest geology took root during his years as a backcountry ranger in the Grand Canyon. As a geologic interpreter, Wayne leads and participates in geology-oriented river trips, backpack adventures, and international expeditions. Wayne is the author of three award-winning books and numerous popular articles. He has written for Arizona Highways, Sedona Magazine, and Earth Magazine. His three books, Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau, Carving Grand Canyon, and Sedona Through Time have received numerous awards. There is nothing Wayne enjoys more than teaching in an outdoor classroom….

Dr. Thomas D. Sisk 

Tom Sisk, the Charles Olajos and Ted Goslow Endowed Chair of Environmental Science and Policy for the Southwest is an ecologist whose work focuses on three interrelated goals: improving our understanding of ongoing environmental change; engaging others in the challenges, societal relevance, and rewards of conservation; and helping to provide solutions to emerging problems facing policy makers and land managers. Tom has worked around the world developing a broad perspective on science, government, and the environment. His experiences provide insight into the relationship between science and management, as well as the challenges associated with translating sound science and progressive policy into on-the-ground action. Sisk’s laboratory group researches a broad range of topics related to the restoration and conservation of biodiversity and sensitive habitats, combining field study, geographic analysis, and spatial modeling. Tom’s courses in conservation biology, landscape ecology, and environmental policy and leadership emphasize theory in the natural and social sciences, and grounds student experience in field study and real-world applications. Tom serves on numerous advisory and editorial boards and is a certified Senior Ecologist of the Ecological Society of America and an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow.