• Doctor of Philosophy in Education (2013). University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii Title: Diversifying Science: Recognizing Indigenous Knowledge systems as scientific worldviews.
• Masters of Science in Forestry, Natural Resource Education (2005). Oregon State University, Oregon
• Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife (1999). Oregon State University, Oregon

• ESM 455W - Ecological Restoration Capstone
• SCI 100 - Becoming a STEM Professional in the 21st Century
• NAS 309 - Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Indigenous Natural Resource Management
• NAS 331 - Indigenous Natural Resource Management Practices
• NAS 332 - Environmental Justice

My classroom is a forum where students can come to share their stories. It is a place where students learn to become critical thinkers not only about outside perspectives but their own inner beings.  As a Native American, I utilize my cultural perspectives and stories as a way to connect with students from different cultural understandings and backgrounds. As a teacher, I see myself as a guide whose job is to foster the growth and understandings of all students where students and teachers move collectively towards greater understanding to transform, strengthen, and broaden our understanding of the world we live in. I especially like to teach field courses that are based upon experiential learning and hands-on environmental enhancement projects.

As an Indigenous researcher of over 20 years working in a western framed education system, I have purposefully worked on decolonizing traditional western research norms through diversifying what research is and can be. I have done so through the process of Participatory Action Research projects. These projects are inclusive of indigenous knowledge and community being developed, carried out and disseminated through a collaborative partnership for the full cycle of research: What are the tribe’s/indigenous community’s researchable questions, science support needs, what are the metrics or things to study, how to collect and analyze the data, and for reporting the results and sharing the findings together for the benefit of indigenous peoples and their lands/valued resources.

Two recent examples of this include the following:

National Science Foundation (NSF-TSIP)

Ola I ka Aina: reviving ecosystems utilizing Indigenous Knowledge, Western Science, and Mathematics. (Ola I Ka ‘Aina Project) strengthens STEM programs by providing students community-based engagement and course work rooted in Indigenous Knowledge. Ola I Ka ‘Aina translates to “life generated by the land”, or when one cares for the ‘aina (land), the land will nourish and care for all. Ola I Ka ‘Aina Project seeks to reestablish this belief through hands on restoration and educational activities that not only teach students about the need to care for the land but also begins the healing relationship between Kuhialoko, the field-based community restoration site, and people.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Undergraduate Pathways Bridging Excellence in Agriculture and Tradition (UP-BEAT): is a two-year grant funded by USDA to help Indigenize the Sustainable Community Food Systems Bachelors of Applied Science (SCFS-BAS) undergraduate degree program at the University of Hawaii West Oahu.  The UP-BEAT project seeks to expand on the considerable success of food system focused SCFS program through the systematic integration of Indigenous Knowledge and community-based experiential learning; these offer effective innovations for sustainable food systems while enhancing the draw for Native Hawaiian and underserved students. UP-BEAT will build on the momentum SCFS to expand effective elements while improving accessibility and the integration of IK to enhance the educational experience and career aspirations of Native Hawaiian and underrepresented students.

• College of the Redwoods
• Humboldt State University: B.S. in Botany/Minor in Anthropology; M.A. in Biology

• ESM 425: Environmental Impact Assessment
• ESM 462: Coastal & Marine Planning
• ESM 230: Environmental Methods

• Spatial analysis, habitat suitability modeling
• Ph.D. in Forestry (GIS), 2006, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

• GSP 318 - Geospatial Programming I
• GSP 330 - Mobile Mapping
• GSP 510 - Research Methods in GSP
• GSP 470/570 - Advanced Geospatial Modeling
• ESM 411W - Energy & Climate Senior Capstone

Jim researches appropriate methods for applying spatial analysis to a wide variety of natural resource management issues.  He specializes in habitat suitability modeling.

• Ph.D. – Geographic Information Science and Earth Observation (Vegetation Spectroscopy), University of Twente, Netherlands (2019)
• M.S- Geographic Information Science and Earth Observation for Natural Resources Management, University of Twente, Netherlands (2014)
• M.Phil – Geography and Environmental Science, University of Zimbabwe (2012)
• B.S - Geography and Environmental Science, University of Zimbabwe (2008)

• GSP 270 - Geographic Information Science
• GSP 330 - Mobile Mapping
• GSP 480 - Geospatial Applications in Natural Resources
• SCI 100 - Becoming a STEM Professional in the 21st Century

• Ph.D. – Energy & Resources, University of California, Berkeley 2012
• M.S. – Energy & Resources, University of California, Berkeley 2007
• B.A. – Earth & Environmental Sciences, Wesleyan University, CT 2002

• ESM 230 – Environmental Problem Solving
• ESM 370 – Energy, Technology, and Society
• ESM 410/411 – Senior Capstone
• ENGR 532 – Grad Course – Energy, Environment, and Society

• B.S. Wildlife, Humboldt State University
• M.S. Natural Resources, Wildlife Emphasis, Humboldt State University.

• ESM 105 – Natural Resources Conservation
• ESM 200 - Inscape and Landscape
• ESM 210 – Public Land Policy and Management
• ESM 430 – Natural Resource Management in Protected Areas
• SCI 100 - Being a scientist in the 21st Century

• Ph.D. in Ecology, Colorado State University 2012
• B.S. in Environmental Biology and Management, University of California, Davis 2004

• ESM 303 – Applied Natural History & Ecology
• ESM 455 – Applied Ecological Restoration
• RRS 360 - Rangeland Plant Communities
• ESM 685 - Graduate Seminar

• Post-Graduate Studies Environmental Planning, UC Davis Extension 2001
• Graduate Studies Natural Resource Planning, Humboldt State University, 1999
• Graduate Studies Forestry Extension, Excelsior College, 1998
• B.A. Theatre Arts/Dance Emphasis, Sonoma State University, 1988
• B.A. Environmental Studies, Sonoma State University, 1988

• ESM 355 Principles of Ecological Restoration
• ESM 305 Environmental Conflict Resolution
• SOIL 468 Introduction to Agroforestry
• SOC 480/680 ISADR Mediator Certificate Program
• PE 161 Beginning Backpacking

• B.A., University of Florida, Political Science
• M.S., Cal Poly Humboldt, Environmental Science and Management

• ESM-305, Environmental Conflict Resolution

• Ph.D. - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (Aquatic Ecology focus), University of California, Berkeley
• B.S. - Environmental Science, University of Oregon, Eugene

• SCI 100 - Being a STEM Professional in the 21st Century
• ESM 230 - Environmental Methods
• ESM 303 - Applied Natural History & Ecology
• ESM 355 - Principles of Ecological Restoration
• ESM 455 - Applied Ecological Restoration

I teach courses in environmental science and ecological restoration. These courses investigate ways to understand and address anthropogenic impacts and disturbances on ecosystems. I try to promote a learning atmosphere that allows students to interact with the natural environment and learn structural and functional processes first-hand. Therefore, I try to get my students outside and interacting with the environment as often as possible so they can fully experience the topic.

I teach two field courses:

• International Environmental Issues & Globalization: Costa Rica Field Course
• Klamath Basin Field Course

My research interests are within the areas of aquatic ecology and ecological restoration. Specifically I study stream and wetland restoration, the ecology and eradication of invasive species, the impacts of wildfire and dams on stream communities, and the biological significance of step-pool sequences in mountain streams. My research methods focus on using benthic macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality in urban and natural freshwater ecosystems.  I conduct much of my research through Cal Poly Humboldt’s River Institute.

More specifically my research explores how biological stream communities respond to disturbance within a watershed. My bioassessment research uses benthic macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality to develop indices for the management of water bodies. One of my research projects examined ways to analyze long-term bioassessment data for the Lake Tahoe Basin. Another project compared urban gradients and aquatic biological indicators of urbanization in three climatic regions of the United States: San Jose, CA (west coast); Baltimore, MD (Mid-Atlantic); and Cleveland, OH (Midwest). The biological indicators of urbanization developed for these three regions were intended to help water agencies prioritize restoration and conservation efforts in urban watersheds. My research has also involved several post- project assessments of urban stream restoration projects in the San Francisco Bay Area in order to evaluate their success. These assessments included biological, habitat, and sociological assessments of several urban stream restoration projects to determine the condition of each site over time.

I am interested in the ecological significance of mountain step-pool streams. I collaborated with a professor at the University of Colorado, Denver to compare biological communities in step-pool streams of northern California (Smith River) and Colorado.  We are also examining the bio-physical impacts of wildfire on high-gradient mountain streams.

Some of my research at Cal Poly Humboldt has involved wetland ecosystems. My graduate students have explored research questions related to an invasive non-native plant species (Spartina densiflora) in the salt marshes of Humboldt Bay.

I am also interested in how dams and other anthropogenic factors influence river ecosystems.  I am particularly interested in dams on the Eel River and Klamath River.

If your research interests are in the areas of stream ecology, bioassessment, or restoration ecology, and you are interested in working on a thesis (developing research questions and hypotheses, collecting and statistically analyzing the data), and you will work to publish your research results in a journal, here are some things you should know and some steps you should take.

Understand that space is limited and competition can be strong. I generally accept only one to two new graduate students each year. If you are interested in working with me, I strongly encourage you to do two things: 1) send me an email stating why you are a good fit for my lab, a summary of your research-related experience (if any), and what topic/area you would like to explore for your Masters thesis (this can be broad or specific); 2) if at all possible, meet with me in person or over Zoom.

Look over my current and former graduate students' research descriptions below to see the types of projects students that work with me pursue.