Staff
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.
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Jonathan Hardes, Research Associate & Website Editor
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.
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Other museum people!
Johanna Ciampa: Museum Creative Director
Dawn Odom: Museum Collection Technician
Russell Walker: Russell workes in the museum's preparation lab
Jamie Emmick
Jamie is a Consulting Forensic Anthropologist.
She has also served as a co-instructor for the
museum's Vertebrate Osteology course
Charles Miller
Charles is a volunteer bird preparator at the museum.
He also serves as a naturalist at the Montana Natural History Center.
Shannon Gilbert
Shannon is a local Zooarchaeologist who has
co-taught the museum's Vertebrate Osteology course
Becky Bigley
Becky has worked in nearly every area
of the museum, including serving as the
teaching assistant for Vertebrate Osteology.
Ilsa Bucher
Ilsa works in the museum lab preparing skeletons
and skins for both the permanent and teaching
collections.
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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.
