Our Faculty

Looking west over campus as the sun sets

Professors who care, location that inspires

We are not intellectually isolated. We are out in the world, engaging with people and interacting with the environment. It's how we teach and it's where we learn. It's how we meet real world challenges head on. And it's where we give back. But regardless of the paths we take or the extremes we go, we take great care to leave the world better than we found it and to leave a path forward for those who follow in our footsteps.

Finding balance

UM Professor Brent Ruby studies movement and the boundaries of what the human body is capable of in his lab, the Montana Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism. He's driven by a passion for pushing himself, but also by a passion for balancing his teaching and research with the outdoor opportunities that abound in western Montana.

'Social Justice is important'

With extensive experience working for nonprofits internationally, School of Social Work faculty member Jessica Liddell describes herself as an interdisciplinary scholar “with the heart of a social worker.” Her work centers on justice in the area of reproductive health care, especially among minority populations.

'Connection with place'

Last summer, UM was home to a mating pair of Cooper's Hawks, with a brood of three, nesting in a giant maple tree on campus. UM Emeritus Professor Erick Greene says the hawks are just another reminder of why studying at UM and in this landscape is so special.

Burning to learn

As the world faces bigger and scarier wildfires, prescribed fire represents a new trend in fire science. Recently, 12 UM students and their faculty mentors successfully managed a prescribed fire on the Bandy Ranch, burning both UM property and adjacent land managed by other agencies. The day doubled as a hot and heavy training experience for UM students, who were front and center on the burn.

'I want to be of help'

Department of Psychology Assistant Professor Caitlin Martin-Wagar’s specialty is the research and treatment of eating disorders. When it comes to her field, fellow practitioners are rare – particularly in rural states like Montana.

“There is huge gap in access to eating disorders care in rural communities,” she said. “I was excited to come here, and I want to be of help.”