Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum
and Montana Comparative Skeletal Collection

The University of Montana

The University of Montana .: Search UM .:UM A-Z Index
Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum and Montana Comparative Skeletal Collection

Staff

Dave posing as a Caribou (Rangifer tarandus), Brooks Range, Alaska

 

David Dyer, Curator

The University of Montana

Division of Biological Sciences

Missoula, MT, 59812

office: (406) 243-4743

email: Dave.dyer@mso.umt.edu

Education:

M.S., Museum Studies, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

B.S., Zoology, The Ohio State University

Areas of Interest: Curation of Natural History Museum Collections

Mammalian Osteology, Identification of Vertebrate Remains, Museum Exhibits,

and Zooarchaeology.

Brief Background: Dave has worked for a variety of natural history museums

for over 25 years, including the University of Nebraska State Museum, Cincinnati

Museum of Natural History, and the Natural History Department of the Ohio Historical

Society. He has served as Curator, Collections Manager, and Exhibit Preparator. Dave is

interested in all aspects in the operation of natural history museums, but his jobs have in

one way or another been involved with the vertebrate skeleton, from building and curating comparative skeletal collections, to working in

faunal analysis, and articulating casts of large Pleistocene mammal skeletons for exhibit.

_________________________________________________________________

Jonathan Hardes, Research Associate & Website Editor

Jon in Bobcat Cave, a prehistoric archaeological site in southern Idaho

Education:

M.A., Anthropology, The University of Montana

B.A., Geography-Anthropology, University of Southern Maine

Areas of Interest: Zooarchaeology, The Prehistoric Archaeology of the northern

Rocky Mountains and the northwest Plains, Curation of Natural History and

Anthropological Collections, Museum Exhibits Design and Construction, Vertebrate

Osteology.

Brief Background:  Jon worked as the assistant curator at the P.L. Wright

Zoological Museum from 2003 to 2006.   His additional experience with museum

collections includes work with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Interior Museum

Program, Glacier National Park, the University of Montana Department of

Anthropology, and the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology.  Jon has

also participated in archaeological field and laboratory work in Idaho, Maine, Montana,

Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, St. John (US Virgin Islands), and Wisconsin.  He

currently holds the position of Park Archeologist at Glacier National Park.  He also

serves as a co-instructor for the museum's Vertebrate Osteology course and

continues to manage the museum's website.

 

_________________________________________________________________

    Other museum people!

 

Johanna Ciampa:   Museum Creative Director

Dawn Odom:  Museum Collection Technician

Russell Walker:   Russell workes in the museum's preparation lab

 

Jamie and Kodi skiing

 

 

Jamie Emmick

Jamie is a Consulting Forensic Anthropologist.

She has also served as a co-instructor for the

museum's Vertebrate Osteology course

 

 

Charles at the Natural History Center 

                                                                                                              Charles Miller

                                                                                               Charles is a volunteer bird preparator at the museum.

                                                                                               He also serves as a naturalist at the Montana Natural                                                                                                            History Center.

Shannon investigating a historic structure

 

 

Shannon Gilbert

Shannon is a local Zooarchaeologist who has

co-taught the museum's Vertebrate Osteology course

 

 

 

Becky in the museum's main collections

 

                                                                           Becky Bigley

                                                                 Becky has worked in nearly every area

                                                                of the museum, including serving as the

                                                               teaching assistant for Vertebrate Osteology.  

 

 

Ilsa and Tucker in Homer, Alaska

 

Ilsa Bucher

Ilsa works in the museum lab preparing skeletons

and skins for both the permanent and teaching

collections.

 

 

 

_________________________________________________________________

                                                         Past Staff

Rochelle Bennett: Rochelle is now employed by the Bureau of Reclamation in Denver, Colorado.

While at the P.L. Wright Museum she served as an assistant to the curator, with her primary duties focused on

cataloging of specimens.  She also served as a teaching assistant for the museum's Vertebrate Osteology class.

Rochelle earned her Master's Degree from the University of Montana Department of Anthropology, with a focus in

physical anthropology. 

 

 

Spectral Fusion Logo; links to SFD home page

Graphics, Design, and Layout by Lauren Easom. Copyright © Spectral Fusion 2005. All Rights Reserved.