STAFF
Andrew Larson
Andrew is the Director of the Wilderness Institute. He earned bachelor and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington and joined the UM faculty in 2009. He currently is a Professor of Forest Ecology and researches forest and fire ecology, forest management, restoration and climate change adaptation. He has a long history of collaboration with leaders in wilderness science. In 2013, Larson was recognized with the U.S. Forest Service National Wilderness Award for Excellence in Wilderness Stewardship Research.
Andrea Stephens
Andrea is the Director of Undergraduate and Field Education for the Wilderness Institute. She received a bachelor's degree in geology from the University of Puget Sound and a master's degree in environmental studies from the University of Montana. Andrea has designed, taught and directed undergraduate field programs in western Montana for 20 years. Since moving to Missoula in 1989, Andrea has also taught high school earth science; led trail crews in MT, WY and AK; created her own volunteer field biology program to assist the USFS in surveying roads and culverts and mapping boreal toad breeding habitat; led field crews for six seasons collecting genetic and snorkel survey data on westslope cutthroat trout; and helped coordinate Aerie Backcountry Medicine's Semester in Wilderness Medicine in its inaugural decade. Driving all this work is Andrea's belief in the life-changing impact of experiential, outdoor education.
Heidi Blair
Heidi is the Wildlands Communications Director at the Wilderness Institute. She earned a BA in Latin America Studies from Colby College and a MS in Resource Conservation with an option in International Conservation and Development from the University of Montana, where she studied public lands management in Chilean Patagonia and the western US. She also holds a Graduate Certificate in Natural Resource Conflict Resolution from UM. At the WI, she partners with the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute to manage Wilderness Connect, a wilderness education and outreach program for land managers and the public.
Beth Kochevar
Beth is the Wilderness Online Education Coordinator for the Wilderness Institute. She holds a BA in Geology from Colorado College and an MS in Natural Resources with a Graduate Certificate in Environmental Education from the University of Idaho. She has most recently studied and implemented best practices in P-20 Environmental and Natural Resources Education as a Program Development Coordinator and Instructor in the University of Idaho McCall Outdoor Science School program. She specializes in place-based pedagogy and instructional design in natural resources curricula. At the WI, she manages the e-courses for Wilderness Connect in collaboration with the Arthur Carhart Wilderness Training Center and facilitates the Graduate Certificate in Wilderness Management.
STUDENTS
Clare Boerigter
Clare is pursuing an MS in Forestry and working as a researcher on a wilderness fire project funded by the Joint Fire Science Program. Clare was previously the Wilderness Fire Research Fellow for the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, part of the Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing (Nonfiction) from the University of Minnesota (2021), an MA in International Education from the Universidad de Alcalá in Spain (2017), and a BA in Spanish from Grinnell College (2014). Clare worked as a wildland firefighter for a national forest in Utah during the 2012, 2013, and 2015 fire seasons; her fire memoir Wild Light: Notes from the Safest, Most Dangerous Places is forthcoming from Beacon Press.
Liv Dehning
Liv is a Student Recruiter for the Wilderness and Civilization program and is also an alumna of the 2025 W&C cohort. She is a third-year wildlife biology major on both the aquatic and terrestrial tracks with a minor in wilderness studies. Originally from central Minnesota, she has been grateful for every opportunity she has to get into the wilderness. Around campus, you can find her involved within the Davidson Honors College, UM Advocates, and The Wildlife Society. When she is not on campus, you can find Liv exploring various coffee shops to find the best lotus combination or at the movie theatre.
Miranda Foster
Miranda is a Ph.D. student in the Forestry and Conservation Sciences Program and serves as the graduate teaching assistant for the Wilderness and Civilization Program and Research Assistant supporting Wilderness Connect. Miranda was raised in Utah and Montana, where she developed a deep, early appreciation for public lands through a childhood spent outdoors and through close family ties to public land administration. She holds a BA degree from Scripps College, where she studied Environmental Analysis with an emphasis on geology and environmental justice. With an interest in federal land management and recreation, she began graduate study with Dr. William Rice at the University of Montana, earning her MS degree in Parks, Tourism, and Recreation Management the spring of 2025. As a member of the Wildland and Recreation Management Lab, her research has ranged from understanding visitor behavior in grizzly bear corridors to visualizing recreation access disparities through GIS-based storytelling. Her master’s thesis evaluated the effectiveness of universal symbol signage in national parks, aiming to enhance communication with diverse audiences and contribute to broader questions about how inclusive and intuitive communication can support visitor experiences and promote resource protection. Looking ahead, Miranda’s doctoral research will continue to explore the role of creative, evidence-based science communication and applied social science in wilderness management and education.
Maja Holmquist
Maja is the Social Media Coordinator for Wilderness Connect. She earned a BS in Resource Conservation with a minor in Ecological Restoration from the University of Montana and is now pursuing an MFA in UM’s Creative Writing program (nonfiction tract). Her graduate thesis includes a focus on writing the natural world, using personal experiences to create a bridge between wide audiences and wild spaces. If she’s not hiking, she’s likely reading or writing or cooking something up with her husband.
Ainsley Jajack
Ainsley is a Student Recruiter for the Wilderness & Civilization program, an alumna of the 2025 WC cohort, and a 2026 Fall Trek leader. She is a senior majoring in environmental science and sustainability, with minors in ecological restoration, wilderness studies, and German language. Outside of the Wilderness Institute, she serves as president of UM's Climate Response Club, studies plant ecology with the Zettlemoyer Lab, and spends her summers working in outdoor education. When not on campus, you can often find Ainsley backpacking Montana's wilderness areas, knitting in trees, snorkeling rivers, and doing handstands.