christybriles - Dr. Christy E. Briles

Contact Information

Department of Earth Sciences
200 Traphagen Hall
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717
Office: Leon Johnson Hall #710
Phone: 406-994-6856
Email: cbriles at montana.edu or christybriles at gmail.com

Education

Ph.D., University of Oregon, Eugene, 2008
M.S., University of Oregon, Eugene, 2003
B.S., University of Denver, Denver, 1999

Research and Teaching Interests

My research interests are in the areas of vegetation and climate history and the role of disturbance, in particular fire, as a catalyst for environmental change over the late-Quaternary. Pollen, macrofossils and charcoal preserved in lake and wetland sediments are the main proxies that I use to reconstruct vegetation, fire and climate. My past and present investigations are located in the western U.S. (Oregon, California, Colorado, and Idaho), are experimental in nature, and address a number of important questions related to theories, problems and issues in paleoecology, ecology, geology, biogeography, and forest management.

Teaching is another of my important activities, and one of the most influential. It is an opportunity to encourage students to question the world around them and to develop skills in critical thinking, data analysis and scientific interpretation of presentations. My teaching philosophy emphasizes application of classroom material in the real world, active learning, and using the scientific method to solve problems. It is important to provide students with problems related to course topics and the opportunity to work together in groups to devise plans of attack and solutions. I incorporate technology, including GIS and web-based projects, into my courses. Finally, I use both indoor and outdoor classrooms as venues to get students excited about science, and bring my research into the classroom and involve students in it when ever possible. I have taught a variety of geography courses including Biogeography, Weather and Climate, Introduction to Physical Geography, Global Environmental Change (human-environmental relations), Oregon Natural Landscapes (field-based), Introduction to GIS (assisted), and Geomorphology (assisted) .