Faculty

Tenure-Track Faculty

Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit Faculty

Teaching Faculty

Administrative Staff

Adjunct Instructors

Researchers

Emeritus Faculty

In Memoriam Faculty

 

 

Tenure-Track Faculty

Lindsey Albertson

Lindsey Albertson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Community ecology, freshwater ecology, fluvial ecogeomorphology

   Lewis Hall 303
   (406) 994-3725
   [email protected]
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Justine Becker, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

   Lewis Hall 406A
   (406) 994-2492
   [email protected]
Israel Borokini

Israel Borokini, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Institute on Ecosystems

   AJMJ 117
   (406) 994-5670
   [email protected]
Laura Burkle

Laura Burkle, Ph.D.

Professor

Director of Conservation Biology and Ecology Program

 

   Lewis Hall 207
   (406) 994-7223
   [email protected]
Tim Cline

Timothy Cline, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

   Lewis Hall 302
   (406) 994-2270
   [email protected]
Scott Creel

Scott Creel, Ph.D.

Professor

   Lewis Hall 311-A
   (406) 994-7033
   [email protected]
Wyatt Cross

Wyatt Cross, Ph.D.

Professor

Director of Montana Water Center

   Lewis Hall 208
   (406) 994-2473
   [email protected]
Diane Debinski

Diane Debinski, Ph.D.

Professor / Department Head

Conservation biology, ecology, restoration ecology

   Lewis Hall 310
   (406) 994-2949
   [email protected]
Steven Kalinowski

Steven Kalinowski, Ph.D.

Professor 

   Lewis Hall 311
   (406) 994-3232 
   [email protected]
Ethan Linck

Ethan Linck, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

   Lewis Hall 305
   (406) 994-2024
   [email protected]
Andrea Litt

Andrea Litt, Ph.D.

Professor 

   Lewis Hall 406B
   (406) 994-2332 
   [email protected]
Jay Rotella

Jay Rotella, Ph.D.

Professor

   Lewis Hall 308
   (406) 994-5676
   rotella.montana.edu
Danielle Ulrich

Danielle Ulrich, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Plant physiological ecology, plant ecophysiology

   A.J.M. Johnson Hall 215
    (406) 994-4158
   [email protected]
Christine Verhille

Christine Verhille, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Fish ecophysiology, cardiovascular physiology

   A.J.M. Johnson Hall 115
    (406) 994-4844
   [email protected]

 

Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit Faculty

Christopher Guy

Christopher Guy, Ph.D.

Professor 

Assistant Leader of the Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit and Affiliate Professor

   Lewis Hall 301
   (406) 994-3491 
   [email protected]
Alexander Zale

Al Zale, Ph.D.

Professor

Leader, Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit and Affiliate Professor

   Lewis Hall 301
   (406) 994-2380 
   [email protected]

Teaching Faculty

Brian Smithers

Brian Smithers, Ph.D.

Assistant Research & Teaching Professor
Forest ecology, sub-alpine forest and alpine community ecology

   Lewis Hall 405
   (406) 994-2195
   [email protected]
John Townsend-Mehler

John Townsend-Mehler, Ph.D.

Assistant Teaching Professor
Animal Behavior and cognitive science

   Lewis Hall 113-E
   (406) 994-3102
   [email protected]
David Willey

David WIlley, Ph.D.

Associate Teaching Professor

Ornithology, Community Ecology, Raptorial Birds, Predator-Prey Ecology

   Lewis Hall 406C
   (406) 994-5319
   [email protected]
John Winnie, Jr., Ph.D.

John Winnie, Jr., Ph.D.

Associate Teaching Professor

Field Research

   Lewis Hall 301A
   (406) 994-3806
   [email protected]

 

Administrative Staff

Diane Debinski

Diane Debinski

Department Head

   Lewis Hall 310
   (406) 994-2949
   [email protected]
Bernadette Diaz

Bernadette Diaz

Business Operations Manager
Bernadette covers Human Resources and payroll, key requests, travel and p-card processing, budgeting, office logistics, and is our liaison to the CLS Fiscal Services central accounting office.

   Lewis Hall 310
   (406) 994-4481
   [email protected]
Dana Doney

Dana Doney

Departmental Affairs Coordinator

Dana coordinates department events, oversees communications and departmental outreach efforts, and coordinates web communications for the department.

   Lewis Hall 310
   (406) 994-2018
   [email protected]
Madalyn Eglian

Madalyn Eglian

Academic Services Coordinator

Madalyn answers questions about graduate degree programs and admissions, and those regarding registration, advising, and curriculum for both undergraduate and graduate students. 

   Lewis Hall 310
   (406) 994-2911
   [email protected]
Lorri Nielsen

Lorri Nielsen

Program Manager / Accountant

Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit

 

   Lewis Hall 301
   (406) 994-4549
   [email protected]
Al Zale

Al Zale

Leader, Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit

   Lewis Hall 301
   (406) 994-2380
   [email protected]

 

Adjunct Instructors

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Bob Gresswell, Ph.D.

Instructor
WILD 548 Research Perspectives

   By appointment
   [email protected]
Rebecca Hurst

Rebecca Hurst

Instructor

    by appointment
   [email protected]
Anthony Slominski

Anthony Slominski, Ph.D.

Instructor

BIOB 170

BIOE 494

   AJM Johnson 219
   406-994-3262
   [email protected]
Molly Webb

Molly  Webb, Ph.D.

Instructor

   [email protected]

 

Researchers

Aidan Beers

Aidan Beers, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Rotella Lab

   [email protected]
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Victoria Bakker, Ph.D.

Assistant Research Professor
Quantitative conservation biology

   A.J.M. Johnson Hall 221A
   [email protected]
Madaline Cochrane

Madaline Cochrane, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Cline Lab

   [email protected]
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Elizabeth Flesch, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher
Wildlife Geneticist

   [email protected]
Kaitlin Macdonald

Kaitlin Macdonald, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Rotella Lab

   [email protected]
Brian Smithers

Brian Smithers, Ph.D.

Assistant Research & Teaching Professor
Forest ecology, sub-alpine forest and alpine community ecology

   Lewis Hall 405
   (406) 994-2195
   [email protected]
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Yuriko Yano, Ph.D.

Assistant Research Professor
Biogeochemistry, isotope biogeochemistry

   A.J.M. Johnson Hall 119
   [email protected]

 

Emeritus Faculty

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Don Collins, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Biology, 1998
Ecology, Genetics

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Robert Garrott, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Fish & Wildlife Ecology and Management, 2020

   [email protected]
Andrew Hansen

Andrew Hansen, Ph.D.

Professor  Emeritus of Ecology

   [email protected]
Lynn Irby

Lynn Irby, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Management, 2003

Calvin Kaya

Calvin Kaya, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Biology, 2002

   [email protected]

Billie Kerans, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Biology, 2015

Tom McMahon

Tom McMahon, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Fisheries, 2022

Past Director of Fish & Wildlife Ecology and Management Program

   [email protected]
James Pickett

James Pickett, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Botany, 1992

Dave Roberts

Dave Roberts, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Ecology

   [email protected]
Theodore (Tad) Weaver

Theodore (Tad) Weaver, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus Research Professor of Ecology, 2018

   [email protected]

Robert White, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Fish & Wildlife Management, 2002

In Memoriam Faculty

 

William Ed Booth, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Botany and Curator Emeritus of the Herbarium

   Emeritus status granted in 1973.Ph.D. earned from the University of Kansas.

Robert Eng, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Management

   Ph.D. in Wildlife Management from the University of Minnesota
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Daniel Goodman, Ph.D.

Professor
Quantitative Ecology and Conservation Biology

   Daniel Goodman was a professor in the Ecology Department at MSU from 1981 until his death in 2012. Dr. Goodman was a leader in marine mammal and fisheries management, ecosystem modeling, Endangered Species Act policy, and hazardous materials and environmental monitoring.Currently, there is a "Daniel Goodman Conservation Biology Scholarship" awarded to graduate students in his memory.
William Gould

William (Bill) Gould, Ph.D.

Professor & Assistant Leader of the Montana Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit

   William (Bill) Gould earned his Ph.D. in Zoology from Oklahoma State University in 1962.  He began his career as  assistant unit leader of the Montana Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit within the (then) biology department at MSU in 1963 and retired in 1991.   The "William Gould Memorial Scholarship" for graduate students has been established in his memory.

Barton Hahn, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Biology

   Emeritus status granted in 1980.M.S. in Agriculture and Bacteriology from Purdue University
Ellsworth Hastings

Ellsworth Hastings, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Entomology

   Emeritus status granted in 1974.M.S. in Entomology from Montana State College
Richard Mackie

Richard Mackie, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Management

   Emeritus status granted in 1994.Ph.D. in Fish & Wildlife Management from Montana State University.
Robert Moore

Robert Moore, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Biology

   Emeritus status granted in 1996."The Sacajawea Audubon  Society Bob Moore Scholarship" was established in his honor shortly before his passing in July 2024. 

Ira "Kelly" Mills, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Botany

   Emeritus status granted in 1984.Ph.D. in Botany from Oregon State University
Harold Picton

Harold Picton, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Fish and Wildlife Management

   Emeritus status granted in 1998.Ph.D. in Comparative Physiology & Wildlife Biology from Northwestern University
Don Quimby

Don Quimby, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Fish and Wildlife Management

   Emeritus status granted in 1975.Ph.D. in Economic Zoology from the University of Minnesota.Dr. Quimby was a biology teacher, student advisor, and found of the Wildlife Program with Montana State University's Biology Department in 1948.  Dr. Quimby served as the head of that program until his retirement in 1975.A scholarship was established in his name to support a student with a field research project focused on a free-ranging wildlife species within the state of Montana, and a committement to a career in wildlife management.
George Roemchild

George Roemchild, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Entomology

   Emeritus status granted in 1986.Ph.D. in Entomology from Montana State University
John Rumely

John Rumely, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Biology

   Emeritus status granted in 1985.Ph.D. in Botany from Washington State CollegeDr. Rumely was a faculty member at MSU when the department was called "Biology."  He was the curator of the herbarium and was best known for teaching Agrostology.  He retired in 1992.A scholarship was established in his name that supports the instructional, research, and scholarly activities of the curricula traditionally known as Botany, and supports graduate students conducting field studies of native Montana plants.
Donald K. Scharff

Donald Scharff, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Entomology

   Emeritus status granted in 1975.Ph.D.
Ernest Vyse

Ernest Vyse, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Biology

   Emeritus Status Granted in 2007Ph.D. in Genetics from University of Alberta