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Graduate student, Cody Hinkley, glasses for big horn sheep from the Red Rock Canyon Trail in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

School of Graduate Studies

Insights Hub

Recent SGS News

MEM alum, Brenan Bloyd, leads a stream resoration workshop next to Tomichi Creek on the Coldharbour ranch for the Headwaters 2025 Conference.
News

Three Western Colorado University graduate students earn national River Studies and Leadership Certificate

Across the West, the demand for professionals who can balance competing needs for water has never been greater. Now, three students in Western Colorado University’s…
Students research on the river bank.
News

As Lake Powell recedes, Western scientists document the return of life to Glen Canyon
Dr. Kate Clark, Natalie Pax, Autumn Rosengren, and Mandi Leigh pose for a group photo at the 2026 Distinguished Achievement in Graduate Studies ceremony.
News

School of Graduate Studies Honors Outstanding Students and Faculty at 2026 Distinguished Achievement Awards
AESP students stand in front of their poster at the competition.
News

First-year Western graduate students earn first place at regional research conference
Headshot of Franklin Njaiwo Ngalim.
News

After the Boom: Franklin Ngalim’s Mission to Change the Future of Mining at Home
Group photo of students from various cohorts, faculty, and support staff of the NSF EMPLOYS program outside near the north patio of the Clark Family School of Environment & Sustainability.
News

EMPLOYS: A Bridge Between Science and Management

Expert Articles

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Mark Twain

Write What You Know? Maybe Not So Much.

Write What You Know? Maybe Not So Much. It’s probably somewhat fitting that the origins of the phrase “write what you know” are a matter…
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Books from the author set against a nature screen.

What “Nature Writing” Means Now

What “Nature Writing” Means Now: New paradigm shifts in America’s oldest writing tradition — and a unique program at Western Colorado University From seven to…
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Meet the Experts

Our School of Graduate Studies faculty are leading experts in their fields, combining academic research, professional experience, and applied knowledge to inform practice, policy, and industry.

  • Laura Pritchett

    Laura Pritchett

    Nature Writing Concentration Director

  • James Napoli

    James Napoli

    Screenwriting Concentration Director

  • Kevin A. Nelson

    Kevin A. Nelson

    Associate Dean of the School of Business, Professor of Business Administration

  • Derek D. Houston

    Derek D. Houston

    Assistant Professor of Biology

  • Brad Burton

    Brad Burton

    Rady Chair in Petroleum Geology

  • Kari Commerford

    Kari Commerford

    Lecturer in Psychology

School of Graduate Studies

Executive Director

Graduate Database Administrator & Analyst

Graduate Academic Records Specialist

Contact Information

970.943.2297
graduatestudies@western.edu

Contact Location

Western Colorado University
Taylor Hall 222
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231