Learning is most powerful when it’s grounded in experience—when students are in the field, facing challenges, and working on projects that connect directly to their own interests and values.
Biography
Mara Gans is an Instructor of GIS and Expedition Science at Central Wyoming College’s Alpine Science Institute in Lander. She teaches courses in environmental science, geography, and geospatial technology, and helps facilitate summer research and professional development opportunities. Her teaching blends classroom learning with hands-on, field-based research across Wyoming’s mountains and wildlands, emphasizing applied GIS, field leadership, and experiential education through projects with local, state, and federal partners.
Before joining CWC, Mara worked in outdoor education as a field instructor for NOLS and taught for Teton Science Schools. Her graduate research at Central Washington University examined the relationship between wilderness recreation, social media, and visitor behavior. Since 2016, she has participated in interdisciplinary research expeditions with CWC focused on glaciology and archaeology in the alpine environments of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Her teaching and research reflect a passion for using science and technology to understand and advocate for public lands while preparing students for careers in field-based geospatial and environmental work.
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