our interdisciplinary studies faculty love what they teach. they bring learning alive by supporting, encouraging, and challenging their students through hands-on, project based learning.
program chair
- ba, english, dartmouth college
- MA, English education & Curriculum Development, Stanford University
- clad, credential in english, mills college.
katie teaches english composition: writing and the environment and educational issues, communications, principles of interdisciplinary studies, service learning , senior portfolio and a variety of other courses in the humanities department. she also teaches mountaineering and telemark skiing at the college.
under the auspices of university of california, berkeley, she designed and founded a literacy and leadership program, adventure, risk and challenge (arc) for high school youth. in 2011, she received the ll bean outdoor hero award for her innovation with this program. a former outward bound instructor, she has taught mountaineering, rock climbing, backpacking, expeditionary canoeing and backcountry snowboarding courses across the united states for over a decade. she has worked with teachers, families, adults, youth in a range of 1 week to semester long expeditionary courses. she also taught english at berkeley high school and english language development (eld) at sierra mountain middle school in truckee.
at sierra nevada college, she is currently the chair of the interdisciplinary studies program and the advisor of the first generation club. katie combines her academic focus in communication, writing and integrative learning with her passion for outdoor adventure education with her commitment to social justice and providing access to educational opportunities for all students. through collaboration with faculty across departments, katie has helped to build snc’s interdisciplinary studies program. she hopes to bring active learning, service learning, communication skills, and integrative thinking to the college community and to inspire students to get out into the community to make a difference.
faculty
- ba, anthropology and geology, bowdoin college
- ma, multicultural adventure education, national university
rosie hackett teaches classes in interdisciplinary studies, outdoor leadership, wilderness ethics, service learning and senior portfolio. rosie won snc’s distinguished teaching award in 2011 and the distinguished advising award in 2015. her mission is to empower her students to become “growth” junkies, passionate leaders, competent outdoor professionals, and lifelong environmental stewards.
rosie has dedicated the past 20 years to field instruction, curriculum design, environmental stewardship, and leadership development, and is a fervent believer in the power of outdoor adventure education to change and enrich lives. her extensive and varied field experience includes instructing/guiding sailing, sea kayaking, whitewater rafting/kayaking, rock climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, and outdoor leadership for schools and organizations all over the world.
prior to establishing snc’s outdoor adventure leadership program, rosie developed and directed the successful wilderness education program at lake tahoe community college. while growing ltcc’s wilderness program, she was also an assistant professor at prescott college and a lead facilitator in organizational leadership for adventure associates.
on her days off, rosie can usually be found skiing, surfing, climbing or biking with her husband, bret, her two children, ruby and van, and her dog, osa, near her home in south lake tahoe or in a far away place.
- ba, sociology and anthropology, colgate university
- ma, environment and community, humboldt state university
brennan is a passionate writer, educator, and mountain guide. his writing and guiding work has brought him to all seven of the world’s continents. he finds inspiration backcountry skiing, but is just as inspired facilitating open, honest, and dynamic classroom spaces. not only does brennan travel extensively to ski and guide, but he also presents and attends conferences ranging from the teacher for social justice conference to the public interest environmental law conference enhancing his knowledge base and experience in the current field of sustainability.
his writing reflects a diversity of travel and a pursuit of life-long learning. he has been published as a travel, music, adventure, ski, and activist writer both domestically and also abroad. his work can be found in online media, newspapers, and magazines, and his master’s degree research is available in book form.
brennan teaches wilderness survival at truckee meadows community college in addition to teaching in the interdisciplinary studies and environmental science programs at sierra nevada college. his continued mission at snc is to inspire his students to become aware, critical, and well-rounded liberal arts students. he hopes to use his knowledge to inspire and inform his students during their time at sierra nevada college – and beyond.
- ba, new college of california, san francisco
- mfa, university of california, davis
chris lanier is an artist with a background in both traditional and digital media, and a demonstrated interest in hybrid forms, having worked in multimedia performance, digital animation, web production, and comics. his animation has screened at sundance and won awards at several international festivals, including the grand prize for internet animation at the ottawa international animation festival. his graphic novel “combustion” was published by fantagraphics books, and his comics have appeared in a variety of venues, including the san francisco chronicle, the chicago reader, nickelodeon magazine, and the indiana review. he is also an essayist and critic whose art criticism has appeared in a variety of online and print publications, including the believer, hilobrow.com, the san francisco chronicle, salon magazine, the bay guardian, and the comics journal. most recently, he curated the exhibit “the art of howl,” featuring concept and animation art from the film “howl,” which featured james franco as the beat poet allen ginsberg. he also did storyboarding for the film. he is currently the associate professor of digital art at sierra nevada college.
- b.a. in journalism, university of oregon
- m.a. in journalism (candidate), university of nevada, reno
jim scripps has over 20 years experience in marketing and communications. he has been a reporter, editor and managing editor at various community newspapers in the reno / tahoe area. he has also directed marketing and communication efforts for non-profit and higher education organizations, including the boys and girls club of truckee meadows and sierra nevada college.
he currently teaches newspaper editing at snc and is one of the faculty advisors to the eagle’s eye, the snc tahoe student newspaper.
- ma in counseling psychology, pacifica graduate institute
- bs, allegheny college
donna axton is a licensed marriage and family therapist. she had her own private practice for several years, and held internships at tahoe safe alliance, truckee group, individual and family therapy services, glenshire elementary school in truckee, and st. nicholas community services in tahoe city during her training. at sierra nevada college she teaches the counseling related psychology courses: counseling and clinical psychology, art and music therapy, clinical methodologies, health psychology, abnormal psychology, and human development.
axton spent 14 years touring the world as a pianist in hoyt axton’s band. she played country western, boogie woogie, gospel, and rock and roll on 21 albums, co-produced two, and appeared on dozens of television shows, including the tonight show. she has many writing, arranging and directing credits to her name and has directed, conducted and/or played for scores of local musical productions at all levels from community to professional. she is also known as a chamber music and solo pianist.
- ba in environmental science, prescott college
- med in advanced teaching and leadership, sierra nevada college
daryl teittinen is a passionate outdoor adventurer in all seasons. he believes that challenging ourselves to complete big adventures in good style leads to a great life and constant learning.
daryl has been adventuring and working in the outdoors for nearly 20 years as an educator, rock climbing and skiing guide, wilderness rafting guide, avalanche forecaster, and emt. his travels have taken him to the edge of the arctic ocean, through the sea of cortez in baja california mexico, and all over the beloved sierra nevada. in particular, daryl is a rock climber with a love of the walls of yosemite national park, where he has completed over 20 big wall ascents.
in addition to working with snu, daryl is a professional observer for the sierra avalanche center, backcountry skiing and climbing guide at tahoe mountain school, and member of the river field studies network. he is an american institute for avalanche research and education (aiare) certified course leader, professional member of the american avalanche association, american mountain guides association (amga) apprentice rock guide, certified swiftwater rescue tech, and an emt-b.
when not working, you can find daryl enjoys sharing the mountains, rock cliffs and rivers with his friends and family as much as with his students. his young daughter eliza already loves climbing and rafting!
- ba, global economics, university of california, santa cruz
- ma, environmental studies, university of california, santa cruz
- phd, agroecology, university of california, santa cruz
nick’s teaching and research interests focus on agroecology, food systems, and sustainable development. he uses interdisciplinary approaches to understand and promote sustainable land management and community development in both tropical and temperate landscapes.
in his dissertation research, he evaluated the impacts of fair trade marketing networks and the adoption of agroecological farming practices on reducing smallholder coffee farmer vulnerability in costa rica. partnering with local coffee cooperatives and an international ngo, the results were used to improve smallholder agricultural systems and marketing strategies, and were published in the journal of agroecology and sustainable food systems and in a policy brief for food first: the institute for food and development.
his postdoctoral research has focused on us water policy, evaluating obstacles and opportunities for meeting water quality goals in both rural and urban watersheds. these projects involve undergraduates at every phase from project design to publication to improve our understanding of the adoption, maintenance, and spread of water conservation and climate change best management practices. this work has been published in land use policy, climatic change, landscape and urban planning, journal of forestry, journal of the american water resources association (jawra), and by purdue extension.
the same commitment to community-based approaches, policy-relevant and applied topics, and sustainability that inspires his research also drives his work with students in the classroom and the field. his aim is to encourage students to become lifetime active learners and engaged citizens. his teaching and mentoring use experiential and field-based service learning opportunities to demonstrate connections between complex course materials and learners’ lives. he is excited to work with sierra nevada college students and the lake tahoe community towards the larger goals of justice and environmental sustainability.
- ma, sierra nevada college
- ba, davis and elkins college
- BA & BSba, sierra nevada college
marina, raised in the green mountains of vermont, developed a love for the outdoors and environmentalism at a young age. after graduating from sierra nevada college with two degrees, she founded waste-free earth, a full service sustainability consulting company, when she realized the adverse effects her actions were having on the environment. from traveling, going to music festivals, outdoor activities, and everyday life, she noticed something had to change. through relatable advice and actions, marina hopes to inspire everyone to make a positive difference in his or her daily lives, no matter how big or small it may be.
- ba, university of california, berkeley
born and raised in truckee, california, porter has always called the sierras her home. she graduated from the university of california, berkeley with degrees in social welfare and spanish language. kelsey spent a year living in santiago, chile, studying education at the pontifical catholic university of chile and the university of chile, during which the andean peaks, trails and rivers became her home away from home.
beginning her outdoor education career in 2013, porter worked as a whitewater raft guide for four seasons with o.a.r.s., first in california on the american river and then in oregon on the klamath and rogue rivers. she additionally worked as a wilderness instructor for girlventures, a bay area-based organization that brings girls and young women on self-empowerment focused backpacking and rock climbing trips in the sierras. kelsey moved back to truckee in 2016 where she currently works full-time for adventure risk challenge (arc), a local non-profit that brings under-resourced youth into the wilderness, integrating the outdoor experience with leadership and literacy development.
porter is deeply committed to increasing access to a quality and engaging education for all people, in both the indoor and outdoor classroom. on her days off, you can find her on a trail or on the river with her loved ones.
- ba, political science, university of vermont
- ms, hydrology, university of nevada, reno
- phd, hydrology, university of nevada, reno
andy rost received his doctorate in hydrology at the university of nevada, reno, where he studied stream algae. he has been teaching undergraduate courses in fields ranging from earth, ecology, and environmental sciences. his teaching practices emphasize interdisciplinary perspectives and highlight immersive field experiences and the mentoring of undergraduate research projects.
after becoming the department chair, he has been able to secure external funding to support the department and continue to collaborate with researchers and educators within and beyond the snc campus to improving undergraduate science education. throughout these experiences andy has stayed rooted in and inspired by the rivers, ranges, and landscapes that are central to his professional life. when he is not working, you are likely to find him in these wild places with his wife and three kids.
- phd in environmental studies, university of california, santa cruz
devon sampson investigates the dynamic and creative ways that smallholder farmers adapt to a changing world. his work focuses on how the biodiversity that farmers manage as part of their agroecosystems contributes to their ability to make a living in increasingly unpredictable climactic and economic conditions. he advises organizations on methods for measuring biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, and on participatory approaches to gathering and analyzing data. he draws on his experiences as a gardener, farmer, teacher, and community organizer in his work. he is also the co-host of delicious revolution, a radio show about food, culture, and place.
- bs, conservation social sciences, university of idaho
- mpa, climate change policy and planning, university of oregon
amanda draws on her wide variety of experiences to inspire and empower students to be the change they wish to see in the world.
her professional experiences include conducting greenhouse gas inventories, analyzing hundreds of climate action plans, and starting a sustainable consulting business, zenith sustainable consulting. she presented on sustainability and mindset at the ca league of cities’ planning commissioner academy and contributed to the university of oregon’s climate action plan update. amanda also interned with the alta environmental center at alta ski area.
she currently works at tahoe expedition academy as an administrator and substitute teacher. she is a member of sierra camp (climate adaptation and mitigation partnership). in winter, amanda coaches the telemark team at alpine meadows. in summer, she enjoys spending time in the woods and running long distances in the mountains.
field guides
- ba, environmental studies, university of california santa cruz
- ma equivalency, recreation administration, feather river college board of trustees
- ma, recreation hospitality and parks (candidate), california state university chico
flett is passionate about recreation, outdoor adventure leadership, and experiential education. he has been working in outdoor education and guiding expedition whitewater trips since 2001. he lives in beautiful quincy, ca, where he also teaches as an associate faculty in outdoor recreation leadership at feather river college. flett is enthusiastically pursuing a master’s degree in recreation and parks management to gain skills in education around recreation, leadership, risk management, wilderness therapy, and the use of public lands for leisure pursuits.
flett’s favorite forms of recreation can be classified into three broad categories: playing outside with his dog skunk, photographing adjectives, and tinkering till’ the wee hours of the night (all three are most enjoyed when shared with someone else). he’s enthusiastic about working with the odal students, working with them individually and in groups, and hopefully someday playing, i mean – “recreating” – in a beautiful place together.
- ba in interdisciplinary studies, outdoor adventure leadership and environmental science, sierra nevada college
there are 4 things isaac loves with all his heart: alpine granite cracks, deep powder, golden retrievers, and interdisciplinary studies (intd).
he was hooked on the experiential learning approach after his first course; odal 380 expedition backcountry skiing. isaac specialized his learning within the snow science realm through certifications such as the professional 1 avalanche certification and course projects. in the spring of 2018, isaac took first place at the senior student symposium for his project “to ect or to not ect: measuring the effectiveness of the extended column test.” the project was designed to assess our ability to predict avalanche hazard.
upon graduating snc, isaac spent the summer guiding and teaching mountaineering on mt. shasta with sierra wilderness seminars. in his free time, isaac will be climbing or snowboarding in the high sierra or the tahoe area. like one of his mentors rosie hackett, isaac can be found doing whatever facilitates learning in a quest to be a “growth junkie.”
isaac went through the intd educational process which facilitated a personal and cognitive transformation. he is excited to pay it forward and teach lifelong transferable leadership and decision making skills through rock-climbing, backpacking, and backcountry skiing.
viren perumal was born in thailand, and then settled in the southeastern us where as a youth he learned to climb and kayak whitewater. perumal holds a masters degree in biology/eco-physiology and since 1999, has worked as a professional in almost every diverse aspect of the outdoor industry: raft guide, wilderness therapist, ski patroller, search and rescue worker, ambulance crew, outdoor educator, outdoor retail specialist, and biology researcher, and climbing guide. he is a insatiable learner and a master teacher. perumal got his first work as a climbing guide in 2000. he moved to the sierra nevada mountains in 2004, where he fell in love with granite cracks and alpine peaks. perumal has guided rock, ice, and alpine ascents throughout the high sierra as well as in the north cascades, canada, alaska, red rocks, and south america. perumal earned amga rock guide certification in 2011, has completed an amga alpine guide training course, and completed aiare level 2 avalanche training in 2010. he also teaches the “amga single pitch instructor” courses run by smg. when not guiding, perumal trains and certifies other outdoor professionals in wilderness medicine through the wilderness medicine institute of nols and he serves as adjunct faculty for the prescott college adventure education program.
perumal has infectious enthusiasm, a generous heart, and an irresistible way of sharing his stoke for climbing and being in the mountains. his favorite place in the world to climb is the eastern sierra, where he now lives with his wife julie and their dog sladey.
dan ring is the senior guide and head fly fishing instructor for tahoe fly fishing outfitters. he grew up on a lake in southern minnesota, where he spent much of his time catching anything from bluegill to pike. in 1993 he moved with his family to san diego, ca. he felt like a fish out of water in the big city, so he began fishing, backpacking, and exploring the sierra nevada mountains from mount whitney to lake tahoe. in 2002 he came to south lake tahoe to pursue wilderness studies courses at lake tahoe community college. he came across an old fly rod, and began fly fishing with a little help from his friends. over the years he became very familiar with the local waters and entomology. in 2011 he became a guide and instructor at tahoe fly fishing outfitters, and began teaching fly fishing at sierra nevada college a few years later.
dan has found his passion in teaching fly fishing and guiding people to his favorite places around the lake tahoe basin.
- bs in hydrology, uc santa barbara
- ms in water resources, san diego state university
scott valentine teaches a variety of whitewater-related courses at snc, but also runs the earth sciences department at lake tahoe community college. scott has a ms in water resources from san diego state, a bs in hydrology from uc santa barbara, and is currently working on his doctorate. he has worked for over 20 years as a professional raft guide and was a us forest service hydrologist prior to his teaching profession.
sierra nevada university's interdisciplinary studies program offers majors in
outdoor adventure leadership, sustainability, digital arts & business, journalism & Media, and
psychology & Art or Music.