I am an 19th and 20th century U.S. historian specializing in environmental, North  American West in the World, and public history. Raised outside the Colorado mountain town of Fraser, lovingly known as the “Icebox of the Nation,” I spent most of my childhood roaming the surrounding woods and perusing the shelves at the local library. After completing my bachelors and masters degrees, I worked as a ski bum, customer service manager, and sometime journalist covering the outdoor recreation and environmental issues. I then moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, to pursue my PhD in environmental history. During my time at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, I worked on numerous public history projects and taught U.S. history.

Currently a lectuer at Northern University of Arizona, I teach courses ranging from the history of outdoor recreation, global environmental history, war and memory, and historical methods. I am also the primary advisor for NAU’s Bachelors of Science Education in History and Social Studies Secondary Education program.

Published by the University Press of Kansas in 2012,  my book, Colorado Powder Keg: Ski Resorts and the Environmental Movement, examines the history of  Colorado’s ski industry and questions whether private interests should profit from the development of public lands,  the role of the U.S. Forest Service in fostering the development of ski resorts, and changing value of nature from extractive use to recreational use throughout the 20th century.

For more see my Curriculum vitae.

I can be contacted at westrec@gmail.com