Steve Johnson
EcoFS Director & Professor
Steve founded the Ecosystem Field Studies (EcoFS) program in 2006 with a mission to provide unparalleled ecosystem learning opportunities for undergraduate college students. Steve has now safely and successfully taught over 40 EcoFS courses to over 800 students. Steve earned his Masters of Science degree from the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Montana at Missoula (UM) and EcoFS is an official academic partner to UM. Steve has devoted his entire career to studying and teaching Rocky Mountain and Caribbean ecosystem science and has 25+ years of experience in the field of ecosystem education.
Before creating EcoFS, Steve was Program Director at Cal-Wood Education Center, a private non-profit outside of Boulder, Colorado & the current location for the Colorado EcoFS course. At Cal-Wood Steve established environmental education programs to K-12 school groups & collaborated with teachers to design field science programs. Other ecosystem education experience includes serving as a Naturalist for the National Park Service, Rocky Mountain Regional Coordinator for the Student Conservation Association, and Field Instructor for Yosemite National Institutes in California. Steve holds an Advanced Open water SCUBA certification with over 300 Caribbean dives & lives in Boulder, Colorado.
William Klingbeil
Teaching Assistant
William is excited to return for his 6th EcoFS course as a Teaching Assistant. William holds a Masters in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has 10+ years of experience in laboratory and field-based sciences, environmental education, and SCUBA diving. William spent his childhood exploring the Great Lakes region through scouting, youth camps, and a microscope. Eventually deciding to escape the cold of Wisconsin, he attended the University of Tampa where he received a B.S. in Marine Biology and Chemistry. As an undergraduate, he took a coral reef ecology field course in Roatan Honduras that engendered his love for diving, hands on learning, and tropical marine systems.
William has largely focused on macro-algal ecology throughout the last decade, in both an academic and industrial setting, and is well versed in GIS, population genetics, and algal cultivation techniques. He is both an AAUS certified scientific diver and PADI divemaster. Also a passionate educator, he advocates for biocultural conservation practices that promote global sustainability and an equitable blue bioeconomy. He believes ecology should be taught collaboratively, in the field, promoting curiosity and building practical observational and experimental skills. In his free time, William enjoys spending time in the mountains, climbing, trail running, and skiing. Above all, he loves learning with others in a respectful and open-minded setting.
Liv Ray
Course Assistant
Liv hails from Buffalo, New York. She worked for a local greenhouse and ran cross-country throughout high school which allowed her to develop a deep appreciation for nature. She truly believes that being in nature is one of the best healers. In herfree time, she enjoys running, biking, backpacking, meditating and doing lots of yoga. Liv attended the Colorado course over the summer of 2023 and her favorite memories were cooking with friends, hanging out by the campfire, and climbing Mount Audubon! She developed very close bonds with the people she camped with last summer, and can’t wait to create new memories this summer! Also, Liv will be attending the Caribbean course in May to try scuba diving for the first time and to learn more about marine ecology.
Liv will be graduating with a Biology B.A. in May. This upcoming fall, she plans on attending graduate school at the University at Buffalo for Adolescent Biology Education. She currently lives in her hometown, Orchard Park, where she works at a local car wash as a convenience store advisor. Liv also volunteers for PALS Programs, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating inclusive experiences for people with and without Down syndrome. Getting involved in the community, be it through summer camps or outdoor retreats, has broadened her perspective on life and has challenged Liv to do things she never thought were possible.
Jarrett Tucker
Course Assistant
Jarrett is a junior at Stony Brook University and working to finish a bachelor’s in Environmental Studies. He’s from Long Island, New York and grew up with nature being a big part of his life initially through his time in Boy Scouts. His first three years of college, he studied architectural technology and design at Suffolk County Community College, then Farmingdale State College. Realizing that wasn’t his true passion, he spent a couple of years working and exploring the country. Two trips to Acadia National Park, multiple upstate outings, and a cross-country road trip for a month showed him his true calling. His love for nature pushed him to pursue a career based around it. He began his program in Environmental Studies at SBU back in spring of 2023 and wishes to work in environmental conservation or potentially the National Parks Service.
In July of 2023, Jarrett participated in the EcoFS Colorado course. His research project followed the paths and patterns of Mule Deer living in the area. Living, working, and learning in such an interactive and immersive medium with such a passionate group of people in such a beautiful place proved to be one of the most special experiences of his life. He jumped at the chance to return to Cal-Wood and be a course assistant, thrilled to assist in making the next wave of students’ experience with EcoFS just as special as his was.
