Our People
Faculty and Staff
Andrew Kliskey
President’s Professor and Co-director of the Center for Resilient Communities, Idaho EPSCoR Director
View ProfileLilian Alessa
Professor, Co-director of the Center for Resilient Communities
AA 308
Daniel Cronan
Assistant Professor
AA 308
208-885-7902
Landscape Architecture Program
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive MS 2481
Moscow, Idaho 83844-2481
Dan has focused on research and practice at multiple locations and scales including projects in China, Turkey, the U.S. Pacific Northwest and the Gulf Coast. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Idaho, where he has focused his efforts on developing research and pedagogical approaches on various topics such as compelling digital representation, Landscape Planning and Geodesign through GIS applications, and implementation techniques of stormwater facilities.
M.L.A., 2017, University of Oregon
B.L.A., 2007, Louisiana State University
Courses
- LARC 268/464: Landscape Construction 1
- LARC 269/466: Landscape Construction 2
- LARC 310/510: Landscape Architecture Representation and Media 3
- LARC 368/468: Landscape Construction 3
- LARC 369/469: Landscape Construction 4
- LARC 395: GIS Applications in Land Planning 1
- LARC 554: Landscape Architecture Graduate Studio 1
Sarah Dengler
Program Specialist - Center for Resilient Communities; Grants Specialist
IRIC 225
208-885-1219
College of Art and Architecture
875 Perimeter Drive MS 2481
Moscow, ID 83844-2481

David Griffith
Research Assistant Professor
IRIC 223
208-885-4409
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive MS 2461
Moscow, Idaho
83844-2461
David L. Griffith is a Research Assistant Professor at the Center for Resilient Communities at the University of Idaho. He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the University of Idaho in 2016, with specializations in invasive species ecology and social-ecological systems science. Prior to beginning a doctoral program, he worked at Virginia Tech and Appalachian State University as an instructor of interdisciplinary studies and as a scientific writing and publishing consultant. He serves as a Co-Principal Investigator on the National Science Foundation Research Coordination Network: EyesNorth and his research focuses on best practices for Community-based Observing (CBO) science and expanding CBO methodologies to domains outside the Arctic. CBO are methodologies used to engage communities in taking a leading role in environmental security and community safety.
- Ph.D., Environmental Science, University of Idaho, 2016
- M.A., English, Virginia Tech, 2001
- B.A., English, Virginia Tech, 1998
Courses
- LARC/FOR 480—The Resilient Landscape
Andrew Kliskey
President’s Professor and Co-director of the Center for Resilient Communities, Idaho EPSCoR Director
AA 308

Andy Kliskey is President’s Professor of Community & Landscape Resilience and the Director of the University of Idaho Center for Resilient Communities (CRC). Kliskey is also the Idaho EPSCoR Director (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research). He is a social-ecological systems scientist and behavioral geographer with training, teaching and research experience in landscape ecology, behavioral and perceptual geography, geographic information systems (GIS), planning, policy analysis, and surveying.
Andy has spent the last 20 years working in Maori communities in New Zealand, rural communities in western Canada, Inupiat communities in northwestern Alaska, Denai’na communities in southcentral Alaska, and rural communities in Idaho examining community and landscape resilience. His teaching and research is interdisciplinary in nature and directed at integrated methodologies in social-ecological systems that combines stakeholder-engagement, scenario analysis, and geospatial modeling. Kliskey is project lead on two NSF Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems (INFEWS) awards.
Faculty Affiliates
Manoj K. Shrestha
Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, Director of Graduate Studies
View ProfileJohn Anderson
Professor, VTL Co-Manager
AAN 114
208-885-5844
Virtual Technology & Design
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive MS 2481
Moscow, Idaho 83844-2481
John W Anderson develops decision support software and virtual reality environments that help researchers and practitioners visualize complex systems. John leads interdisciplinary communities of virtual design experts, scientists, engineers, educators, and artists where the focus is the incorporation of virtual technologies in all aspects of education, research, modeling and simulation. John’s Research Laboratory specializes in innovative trans-disciplinary research where the emphasis is on virtual environment simulations for Social Ecological Systems (SES) decision support. These virtual environments and visualization tools simulate social ecological processes that allow people the ability to examine how particular actions can affect the future state of their communities and provides positive democratizing effects on public decision making. The ability to interactively manipulate policies, or environmental factors under a variety of scenarios allow individuals insight into the non-linear dynamics of SES and visualizes any potential risks that they might want to avoid in the future. Providing information in such a way allows individuals the ability to make decisions potentially against their own immediate self-interests for the benefit of future generations.
Courses
ARCH 501: SEM: Virtual Universe
Barbara Cosens
University Distinguished Professor Emerita
College of Law
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive MS 2321
Moscow, ID 83844-2321
- LL.M. Environmental Law (summa cum laude), Lewis and Clark School of Law
- B.S. Geology, University of California Davis
- M.S. Geology, University of Washington
- J.D. University of California Hastings (magna cum laude)
Mario de Haro-Martí
Extension Educator
208-934-4417
University of Idaho Extension, Gooding County
203 Lucy Lane
Gooding, ID 83330-1178
Mario works helping Idaho producers to manage and reduce the environmental impact of their livestock and farming operations while increasing their productivity, sustainability and workforce education.
Ph.D., University of Idaho, 2018
M.S., University of Idaho, 2007
B.S., National University of Comahue, Argentina, 1996
Language Spoken other than English
- Spanish
Jim Ekins
Area Water Educator
208-292-1287
University of Idaho Extension, Kootenai County
958 S. Lochsa St, Suite 105
Post Falls, ID 83854
Ph.D. Candidate, University of Idaho, TBA
M.S., University of Oregon, 2002
B.S., Western Carolina University, 1992
Courses
- ENVS 498: Intern: IDAH2O
- ENVS 498 Intern: Stormwater Research Internship
- EDCI 505 PD: The Confluence Project
- EDCI 505 PD: Project WET Certification
- EDCI 505 PD: IDAH2O Master Water Steward
Felix Liao
Associate Professor
McClure Hall 305A
208-885-6452
Department of Geography
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive, MS 3021
Moscow, ID 83844-3021
Research: Economic Geography, Urban Geography, Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, GIS, Spatial Analysis and Modeling
- Ph.D. The University of Utah, Geography, 2014
- M.Phil. The University of Hong Kong, Geography, 2008
- B.S. Sun Yat-sen University (China), Economic Geography & Planning, 2002
Brant G. Miller, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Science Education
ED 410
208-885-4077
875 Perimeter Drive MS 3080
Moscow, ID 83844-3080
- Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 2010
- M.S., Black Hills State University, 2004
- B.S., Black Hills State University, 2001
Courses
- EDCI 329: Elementary Science Methods
- EDCI 201: Contexts of Education
Manoj K. Shrestha
Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, Director of Graduate Studies
321 Administration Building
208-885-0530
Department of Politics and Philosophy
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Dr., MS 3165
Moscow, ID 83844-3165
Manoj K. Shrestha is an associate professor of public administration and policy. His areas of teaching and research interests include public administration, public policy, local government, collaborative governance and networks, institutional collective action, and community sustainability.
- M.A., Economics, Tribhuvan University
- M.Sc., National Development and Project Planning, University of Bradford
- Ph.D., Public Administration and Policy, Florida State University
Alistair MS Smith, Ph.D.
Professor of Wildland Fire Science and Combustion Physics
CNR 204C
208-885-1009
Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive MS 1133
Moscow, Idaho 83844-1133
Degrees
- 2004 PhD: Geography, King’s College London, University of London
- 2000 MSc: Physics, King’s College London, University of London
- 1999 BSc Physics, University of Edinburgh
Research Interests
Combustion physics
Wildland fire science
Forest biometrics
Brian Wolf
Department Chair, Professor
Phinney Hall 113
208-885-6777
Department of Sociology & Anthropology
University of Idaho
P.O. Box 1110
Moscow, Idaho 83844-1110
Brian Wolf is department chair of Sociology and Anthropology and a professor of sociology. His area of research centers on the intersection between organizations, crime and social control.
- Ph.D., Sociology, University of Oregon, 2005
- M.S., Sociology, University of Oregon, 1999
- B.S., Sociology, Boise State University, 1997
Courses
- SOC 130: Introduction to Criminology
- SOC 328: Deviant Behavior
- SOC 311: Social Theory
- SOC 333: White Collar Crime
- SOC 336: Comparative Criminology
- SOC 464: Criminology Abroad
Advisory Board
Michael Barton
Center for Social Dynamics and Complexity, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University
View ProfileMichael Barton
Center for Social Dynamics and Complexity, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University

Stephen R. Drown
Professor Emeritus
208-885-7448
Landscape Architecture Program
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive MS 2481
Moscow, Idaho 83844-2481
Steve Drown, ASLA served as Department Chair and Program Head of the Landscape Architecture program from 1994-2017. He practiced extensively prior to coming to Idaho, winning national and international awards for his landscape architecture work. He maintains his landscape architecture license in Ohio and is currently consulting with landscape architecture firms in China.
- Master of Landscape Architecture, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1974
- Master of Landscape Architecture, Syracuse University, 1974
- Bachelor of Science, Environmental Design, Philadelphia College of Art, University of the Arts, 1970
James Gosz
Professor Emeritus, College of Natural Resources

Julia Oxrango-Ingram
Consultant for Idaho Rural Development

Barrie Robison
Professor; Director, IBEST
Life Sciences South 441A
208-885-7137
Dept. of Biological Sciences
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter MS 3051
Moscow, Idaho 83844-3051
Research: Ecology & Evolutionary Biology