Current Courses

Spring 2025

  • PRT 5865-001
    Experien. Ed Practicum
  • PRTL 231-002
    NR-Rock Climbing II
  • PRTL 237-001
    NR-Indoor Rock Climbing I
  • PRTL 1231-002
    NR-Rock Climbing II
  • PRTL 1237-001
    NR-Indoor Rock Climb I
  • PRTL 1246-040
    NR-AMGA Ski Guide
  • PRTL 1247-040
    NR-AMGA Rock Instructor
  • PRTL 1248-040
    NR-AMGA Alpine Course
  • PRTL 1249-040
    NR-AMGA Climbing Wall
  • PRTL 1250-040
    NR-AMGA Single Pitch
  • PRTL 1500-090
    NR-Spec Topics
  • PRTL 1500-290
    NR-Spec Topics
  • PRTS 206-090
    Avalanche Awareness
  • PRTS 207-005
    Avalanche-Level 1
  • PRTS 209-001
    Avalanche Rescue
  • PRTS 209-002
    Avalanche Rescue
  • PRTS 209-003
    Avalanche Rescue
  • PRTS 2006-090
    Avalanche Awareness
  • PRTS 2007-005
    Avalanche-Level 1
  • PRTS 2009-001
    Avalanche Rescue
  • PRTS 2009-002
    Avalanche Rescue
  • PRTS 2009-003
    Avalanche Rescue

Fall 2024

Summer 2024

Professional Organizations

  • American Mountain Guide Association. 07/01/2005 - present. Position : Certified Rock Guide, Assistant Alpine Guide.
  • Wasatch Backcountry Alliance. 10/01/2015 - present. Position : Member.
  • Salt Lake Climbers Alliance. 06/01/2015 - present. Position : Member, and Member of the Policy Committee.
  • Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education, Research and Publications Committee. 11/16/2006 - present. Position : Member.
  • Save Our Canyons. 09/05/2014 - present. Position : Member.
  • Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. 09/05/2014 - present. Position : Member.
  • Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education, Research and Publications Chair. 11/11/2011 - 11/14/2013. Position : Chair.
  • Climbing Access Resource Group, CRAG Vermont. 04/01/2009 - 10/21/2011. Position : Board Member.
  • Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education. 05/01/2002 - present. Position : Member.

Teaching Philosophy

Fifteen or so years ago, I sat down to take inventory on my life.  I thought to myself what I could do to encourage responsible social change in the world around me.  There are a number of professions available to achieve this end, from politician to activist to philanthropist to business leader.  Given my predispositions, I felt as though the role of educator was the most powerful and fulfilling way to both invite social change and continue my own growth.  Since that time, my thoughts regarding the purpose and value of education have developed philosophically and pragmatically.  The following statement of teaching philosophy is a collection of beliefs I hold about education.

I believe that education is the answer, and it must serve both the individual and society.  It serves the individual by encouraging both intellectual and moral growth.  It serves society by preparing student to operate within it at a high level.  I tell my students this and let them know the perspective I am coming from.

I believe that education is a systematic, organized method that engages students to study the physical and social world around them and acquire cumulative knowledge of meanings and values.  These outcomes form the basis for critical thinking and intelligent living.  In the classes I teach, I incorporate philosophical and scientific backgrounds, and then encourage students to discover ways that these bodies of knowledge can inform their life.

I believe that education is best achieved by engaging student in high-quality experiences.  Because “experience” is internally constructed, a good deal of forethought must be put in to developing a learning environment that supports experiential education.  After each class, I set aside time to reflect on how the class went, and could be done to improve upon it.

I believe that education should be holistic.  Although it is typically piece-mealed into curricular chunks that focus on a given subject, I believe it is imperative that the teacher considers the whole student, regardless of what discipline is taught.  I take time to facilitate holistic learning by incorporating metaphor into lessons, using journaling activities, facilitating deliberately, and by setting aside time to deal with topics that fall outside the set curriculum.

I believe that the responsibility for teaching is that of the teacher, and the responsibility for learning is that of the learner.  Although I am invested in each of my students, I know that I cannot reach each one.  I do no service to myself or my students by internalizing student behavior.  Not all or our students in the University system are there to learn, and of those that are, not all of them are interested in what I have to teach.  I need to respect their decision and continue to focus on teaching the best I can.

I believe that we know a great deal about how students learn and how we can structure learning environments to serve them.  The burden, then, is on both the educational system and on the educator.  As a teacher, I only have minimal influence on the system, but I can adapt my teaching techniques to work within it.  The following list of techniques are what I strive to accomplish for each class I teach, whether it is a month-long wilderness expedition, a two-hour long seminar, or a semester-length class.

1. Create engaging and active learning experiences.
2. Build trust and rapport.
3. Provide ample time for reflection.
4. Invite questions and engage in dialogue.
5. Hold boundaries.
6. Provide time for practice.
7. Meet students at their level, not the level you wished they were at. 
8. Offer opportunities for challenge.
9. Support when needed.
10. Invite fun.

I believe that these ten things are foundational to the learning processes and serve my students well.  If I am able to accomplish these things—or at least earnestly try to—then I have faith that I am being true to myself, my students, and the decision to become a teacher that I made ten years ago.  I will continue to develop as an educator: it is one of the most challenging and rewarding titles that can be attained, and one that I hope I am deserving of.  

Courses I Teach

  • Honors 2300 - Wilderness with Honors
    Honors 2300 orients students to the Honors experience, develops positive place attachment with Utah wildlands, create positive social support structures with peers, and examines the relationship of outdoor recreation to the Utah identity and economy. Student complete a four-day rafting trip on the Green River; participate in weekly outdoor programs in the canyons, mountains, and waterways of Utah; meet with nationally recognized scientists, attorneys, land managers, and conservationists; and participate in a service learning program on the Jordan River Parkway.
  • PRT 3320 - Recreation Programming and Leadership
    PRT 3320 offers a theoretical and applied understanding of leadership and programming within the various fields related to parks, recreation, and tourism. Students will explore personal leadership styles, program planning and preparation, and activity implementation through individual and collaborative learning experiences. Upon completion of this course, students will have a Program Planning Portfolio that reflects the many theoretical and logistical elements that comprise parks, recreation, and tourism planning.
  • BUS 3800 - Cohort Development through Outdoor Recreation
    This special section of BUS 3800 builds a supportive social network of peers and mentors through participation in hiking, canyoneering, and climbing in Southern Utah. Students learn leadership communication techniques, group dynamics, and teambuilding firsthand as they explore the spires, arches, and slot canyons of Southern Utah. Students will leave the course with an understanding of outdoor recreation ecology, activities, and the powerful influence of the outdoor recreation economy on the Utah landscape.
  • PRT 3610 - A Global Citizen
    PRT 3610 surveys the key theories and principles of how to be a good global citizen, generally and more specifically, how to be a prepared, educated, and responsible international traveler. In other words, a model global citizen away from home. The course can serve as a guide for international travelers and for those desiring a career in the global marketplace or service. You will learn how to make responsible choices when planning and engaging in travel whether your purpose is pleasure, business, education, volunteering, or any other purpose.
  • PRT 5865 - Experiential Education Practicum
    PRT 5865 facilitates an in-depth application of adventure and outdoor programming in the context of a field-based course. In addition, students will learn from feedback provided by seasoned instructors, in the field, who will observe and evaluate their performance.
  • PRTL, PRTS, and PRTW - Field-based courses
    I teach various two-credit field based courses for the University of Utah's U-EXPLORE Program. My background is well suited for climbing, mountaineering, and ski-based courses, however I occasionally step into a course such as "Day Hikes Wasatch" if an instructor gets injured or sick at the last minute. This is a part of my job as co-coordinator of the U-EXPLORE program and provide me the opportunity to connect with the student and instructor experience, important aspects of managing the program.
  • PRTL 1246, 1247, 1248, 1249, and 1250 - American Mountain Guides Association Programming
    I coordinate these classes as a part of the relationship between the AMGA and Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. Students are able to enroll in Ski Guide, Rock Guide, Alpine Guide, Climbing Wall Instructor, and Single Pitch Instructor Courses.
  • PRT 1500 - Outdoor Service Learning
    This special section of PRT 1500 provided students the opportunity to practice service learning through the Urban Ranger Program; to learn issues central to managing a service learning program; to engage in issues regarding homelessness, public land management, city planning, trail maintenance, and outdoor recreation behavior.

Teaching Projects

  • Wasatch Front Urban Ranger Program. Project Lead: Nate Furman. Collaborators: Nate Bricker, Jeff Rose. University of Utah Bennion Center 09/01/2018 - 11/01/2018. Total Budget: $500.00.
  • Wasatch Front Urban Ranger Program. Project Lead: Nate Furman. Collaborators: Nate Bricker, Jeff Rose. University of Utah Bennion CEnter 09/01/2017 - 11/01/2017. Total Budget: $750.00.
  • University of Utah Urban Ranger Program. Project Lead: Nate Furman. Collaborators: Nate Bricker, Jeff Rose. University of Utah Bennion Center 09/01/2016 - 11/01/2016. Total Budget: $750.00.
  • Parkview Elementary Silver Lake Outdoor Science Program. Project Lead: Nate Furman. Collaborators: Nate Bricker. University of Utah Bennion Center 10/09/2015 - 10/09/2015. Total Budget: $1,000.00.
  • Recreation Programming: Club U. Project Lead: Nate Furman. Collaborators: Elliot Fraughton. University of Utah Bennion Center 07/09/2015 - 06/26/2015. Total Budget: $1,000.00.
  • Edison Elementary Silver Lake Outdoor Science Program. Project Lead: Nate Furman. Collaborators: Nate Bricker. University of Utah Bennion Center 10/10/2014 - present. Total Budget: $1,000.00.

Mountain Guiding

I have worked as an outdoor educator and mountain guide for over 20 years and continue to work in the mountains with clients and students.  I guide with the American Alpine Institute, the School for International Expedition Training, and Adventure Spirit Rock, Ice, and Alpine Adventures.  I have worked throughout North and South America, including the Alaska Range, British Columbia, Peru, Patagonia, the Sierra, the North Cascades, the Wind Rivers, Rocky Mountain National Park, Red Rocks National Conservation Area, and many other areas.  I am a certified Rock Guide with the American Mountain Guides Association and am pursuing full IFMGA certification

Current Students

  • Jefferson Brewer, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Jefferson Brewer, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Marc Poole, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Andrew Verkouw, Master of Arts (M.A.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Marc Poole, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Andrew Verkouw, Master of Arts (M.A.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.

Former Students

  • Rachel Hopman, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Project Type: Dissertation. Role: Member.
  • Rachel Hopman, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Project Type: Dissertation. Role: Member.
  • Nick Rushford, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Nick Rushford, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Dan Hohl, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Jack Stauss, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Dan Hohl, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Jack Stauss, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Giselle Slotboom, Master of Arts (M.A.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Giselle Slotboom, Master of Arts (M.A.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Kristen Weissinger, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Kristen Weissinger, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Andrew Leary, Master of Arts (M.A.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Sarah Morris, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Andrew Leary, Master of Arts (M.A.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Sarah Morris, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Kathryn White, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Kathryn White, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.

Faculty Advisor

Faculty Advisor, Crimson Climbing Collective, 2015-2017.  The Crimson Climbing Collective is a University of Utah student club that supports the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance through a focus on stewardship, education, and outreach.

Faculty Advisor, University of Utah Climbing Team, 2015-2017.  The University of Utah Climbing Team is a team of climbers training to compete in USA Climbing’s Collegiate Climbing Series (CCS).  Theyhold structured training sessions to prepare climbers for CCS local, regional and national events and provides an opportunity to network with fellow climbers in the Salt Lake area.