Michael W. Childers

Michael Childers is an Associate Professor in the Colorado State University History Department specializing in the modern American West, environmental history, and tourism. His first book, Colorado Powder Keg: Ski Resorts and the Environmental Movement (University Press of Kansas, 2012), discussed the history of Colorado’s ski industry and the emergence of the postindustrial West, where mountains became more valuable as ski resorts than as rangelands. The book was awarded the International Ski History Association’s Ullr Award and was runner up for the Western Writers of America’s Spur Award in 2013.

The author of several articles and essays, he is currently writing his second book, tentatively titled, “The Mountains are Calling Tourists and the Unmaking of Yosemite National Park,” examining the park’s history through visitors’ own experiences, and the environmental costs of when a place becomes too popular.

In addition, he is the co-editor of the University of Nebraska series Environment and Region in the American West with Dr. Carr Childers.

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