Cathy Whitlock

Cathy Whitlock is a professor of earth sciences and studies paleo-vegetation, fire and the relationship to past climates.  Since coming to Montana State University, she has developed a paleoecology lab on campus and was the founding director of MSU's Institute on Ecosystems. Her research has taken her to local sites in the Greater Yellowstone region and to Tasmania, New Zealand and Argentina.  She has been recognized for her outstanding contributions with numerous awards and appointments, including her selection as a fellow of the Geological Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2014, Whitlock received the international E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Pioneer Award, which honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the preservation of biodiversity. During the past year, she led the effort to write the Montana Climate Assessment report.  Her dedication to research and mentorship has most recently earned her election into the National Academy of Sciences, the first Montanan to receive this distinction. She has contributed her time in many ways to support new faculty in her department as well as across MSU.

Cathy Whitlock has “…accomplished what no other scientist has accomplished in Montana with her internationally renowned work, while also staying grounded in the Treasure State and supporting and mentoring those around her at MSU."