Responsibilities:  Elizabeth coordinates outdoor classes and trips and oversees the climbing wall at UM. She collaborates with academic departments on campus to offer numerous outdoor education classes for credit. Partnering with the U.S. Forest Service and Fish Wildlife and Parks, she manages and maintains permits on land and rivers for outdoor education to occur for students at UM. Elizabeth also partners with the Missoula Avalanche Foundation to provide and teach level 1 avalanche education classes. She teaches and certifies climbing instructors through the American Mountain Guides Association. She teaches Leave No Trace trainers courses. She oversees the “Freshman Wilderness Experience”, a freshman orientation program that has upper classmen leading incoming freshman on 4-day backpacking and canoe trips before starting college. She has a wonderful staff of student employees and one full time professional employee that she says feels more like extended family.

Experience:  Elizabeth received a B.S. in Recreation Management from Appalachian State University and M.S. in Educational Leadership from the University of Montana. She worked for many years at the North Carolina Outward Bound School, the National Outdoor Leadership School, the Chadwick School’s outdoor program, and many part-time guiding jobs leading multi week outdoor trips, before “settling” down in Missoula. She loves teaching others and is a steward of wild places.

Favorite place to recreate in Missoula: No matter what the season she wants to be adventuring with her family and friends. She enjoys the variety of the seasons and activities Montana has to offer. She loves backpacking, rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing, kayaking, rafting and throughout each season practicing yoga, reading a good book, playing with her two daughters and husband and walking with her dog on Mt. Sentinel!