FLC Faculty & Staff News

Ben Waddell, associate professor of Sociology & Human Services, filmed a video and co-authored an article for Rocky Mountain PBS about an immigrant mother's struggle to educate her children in the midst of a pandemic.

Jenni Trujillo, the dean of FLC's School of Education, has a passion for providing equal educational opportunities to bilingual LatinX and Native American students. Her expertise and personal experience has driven her to advocate for change on campus and the Four Corners region as a whole.

Paul Booth, professor of Art and Design, won an international design award from the London International Creative Competition for a poster he designed advocating for tackling climate change and warning that a future with more fires may lie ahead.

The American Jobs Plan introduced by President Joe Biden last week includes fostering soil restoration in Colorado. Professor of Environment & Sustainability and Biology Heidi Steltzer says investments in land and water resilience will be important for Southwest Colorado’s ecosystem and agriculture. The plan also re-introduces the Civilian Climate Corp, which Steltzer says would create jobs and be a positive motivator to care for the land.

Paul DeBell, assistant professor of Political Science, commented on the recent Durango election results saying, "In times of great anxiety, there’s a push to seek greater experience and a feeling of being in safe hands." DeBell states that the winners are active, connected, and bring financial and engineering expertise to City Council.

Assistant Professor of Public Health Tapati Dutta spearheaded the first-ever collaboration between FLC and the Uganda-based Foundation for Sustainable Community Based Development. This partnership offers online internships intended to teach sustainable, community-driven development.

Addressing concern that the proposed increase to the Durango lodgers tax would make the city less appealing to tourists, Wade Litt, assistant professor of Economics, says other cities that introduced similar increases did not see substantial declines in tourism. In an interview with The Durango Herald, Litt said, "Given that we're already below the Colorado averages...it’s not going to make us the most expensive city. Definitely not by a long shot."

Assistant Professor of Public Health Tapati Dutta was a guest speaker on 4 Corners Art Forum to discuss how narrative and community-based storytelling can be used to help teach difficult or uncomfortable topics, which can in turn empower marginalized communities and lead to systemic change.

Calls for adventure and excitement amidst a pandemic can have rather adverse consequences. Within a seven-day period in February, 15 people were killed by avalanches, which is a number not seen since 1910. With many ski areas restricting visitors, the backcountry is more and more appealing. “It’s hard to say 'no' when you’re bored,” said Sue Kraus, professor of Psychology.

Mountain plants tell many stories, according to Heidi Steltzer, professor of Environment & Sustainability and Biology. As part of a team studying alpine plants in Crested Butte, Colorado, she used the plants' biomass, height, water in their leaves, and the nutrients they hold to tell the story of water usage and increasing drought in the area.