UNCA Environmental Studies Faculty and Staff

Faculty


	J. William Miller, Jr. Professor and Chair jwmiller@unca.edu 828-232-5182 RH 200 Personal homepage	B.S. Virginia Polytechnic Institute M.S. Virginia Polytechnic Institute Ph.D. University of Georgia Dr. Miller teaches geology courses, including physical geology, environmental geology, mineralogy & petrology, and structural & field geology. His research areas include economic and environmental geology, with current projects on corrosion geochemistry of metals in the environment, origins of ballast stones and artifacts from historic shipwrecks, and geology of the Blue Ridge.

	Dolores (Dee) M. Eggers Associate Professor eggers@unca.edu 828-251-6654 RBH 227	B.S. Western Washington University M.S.P.H. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Ph.D. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Dr. Eggers teaches natural resource management, environmental policy, introduction to environmental science, and senior-level humanities. Her research interests include design and implementation of regulation, pollution prevention, regulatory impacts of environmental performance, sustainability, and environmental science education.

	Brandi L. Fariss Assistant Professor bfariss@unca.edu 828-250-3888 RBH 216	B.S. University of Tulsa Ph.D. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Dr. Fariss teaches cultural and political ecology, introduction to GIS, advanced applications of GIS, and introduction to environmental science. Her research interests include conservation policy, protected area management, common property, and the interdisciplinary study of local resource management and how it is influenced by larger social, economic, and political contexts.

	David P. Gillette Assistant Professor dgillett@unca.edu 828-251-6366 RBH 218	B.S. Bates College M.S. Emporia State University Ph.D. University of Oklahoma Dr. Gillette teaches stream ecology, wildlife ecology, fish ecology, and introduction to environmental science. His research areas include the influence of riparian landscapes on stream ecosystems, effects of dams on stream fishes and invertebrates, and patterns of temporal change in fish species composition of rivers and streams.

	Kevin K. Moorhead Professor moorhead@unca.edu 828-232-5183 RBH 226 Personal homepage	B.A. Warren Wilson College M.S. Ohio State University Ph.D. University of Florida Dr. Moorhead teaches soils, wetland ecology, environmental planning, and environmental restoration. His research interests include plant/soil relationships, wetland restoration, and biogeochemical cycling in wetlands.

	Barbara (Kitti) Reynolds Associate Professor kreynold@unca.edu 828-232-5048 RH 208B	B.A. Earlham College M.S. University of Georgia Ph.D. University of Georgia Dr. Reynolds teaches ecosystem ecology, wildlife ecology, tropical ecology (field trip in Costa Rica), avian ecology, air pollution, and humanities. Her research interests include the role of birds and soil invertebrates in ecosystem functions, canopy herbivores, decomposition in forests, effects of forest gaps on soil microarthropod communities, and effects of hemlock woolly adelgid pesticides on soil fauna.

	Irene M. Rossell Professor irossell@unca.edu 828-232-5185 RBH 229	B.A. Wellesley College M.S. West Virginia University Ph.D. State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Dr. Rossell teaches field ecology, plant ecology, and scientific writing. Her research interests include wetland ecology, plant ecology, and plant-animal interactions. Examples of research projects with undergraduates include wetland seed banks and plant regeneration, effects of dogwood anthracnose on wildlife food availability, and ecology of box turtles.

	Jeffrey D. Wilcox Assistant Professor jwilcox@unca.edu 828-232-5184 RBH 222	B.S. Hope College M.S. University of Wisconsin-Madison Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison Dr. Wilcox teaches courses in groundwater and surface water hydrology, water chemistry, physical geology, and introduction to environmental science. His research incorporates field studies, laboratory experiments, and theoretical concepts to investigate the transport of anthropogenic chemicals in the environment.

Staff

	Debra Robbins Academic Support Associate drobbins@unca.edu 828-251-6441 RBH 224	Mrs. Robbins has been at UNC-Asheville as the Environmental Studies Department secretary since 1993. Before moving to Asheville, she worked at UNC-Wilmington for 12 years--11 years in various positions within the School of Education and then as the Administrative Assistant for the National Undersea Research Center for one year. Other interests include music, scrapbooking, traveling, stained glass, blacksmithing, quilting, and antiquing.

	Susie Wright Laboratory Manager swright@unca.edu 828-232-5175 RH 208C	Ms. Wright is the laboratory manager for both the Environmental Studies and Physics departments. Her main interest outside of the university is rehabilitating wildlife and promoting environmental awareness, conservation, and education. She is co-founder and co-Director of Wild for Life: Center for Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc. (link here) and is also one of the first graduates of the Environmental Studies Department at UNCA.