Nicky Phear

Director, Climate Change Studies Program, University of Montana

2016 Education Award Winner

Nicky Phear is the Director of the University of Montana’s Climate Change Studies Program, an undergraduate, interdisciplinary degree program that focuses on science, society, and solutions. She created an internship program that empowers students to work on clean energy solutions, teaches several core courses, and leads a three-week study abroad program in Vietnam about climate change effects and adaptation in the Mekong Delta. She has developed and led two courses involving bicycle trips focused on energy production and climate change, one in Montana and another across Bhutan. Phear is a founding member of Climate Smart Missoula, has led numerous campus and community climate discussions, was a member of the University of Montana’s inaugural Women’s Leadership Initiative, and co-directs a Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative program. Phear has a BA in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana, and a PhD in Sustainability Education from Prescott College.