James Skillen
- Dr. James Skillen
- Associate Professor, Preserve Director
- Geology, Geography and Environmental Studies, Urban Studies, International Development Studies Calvin Ecosystem Preserve & Native Gardens
- North Hall 071 (Map)
- (616) 526-7546
- jrs39@calvin.edu
Education
- Completed a BS in Environmental Science at Wheaton College, 1996
- Earned an MA in Theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2000
- Received his PhD in Natural Resource Policy from Cornell University, 2006
- From 2006–2008 taught at Valparaiso University, Indiana
- Joined GEO department in 2008
Current Teaching
- Human Modification of the Global Environment (ENST 210)
- Environment and Society: issues and policies (ENST 302)
- Seminar in Environmental Studies (ENST 395)
- Special Topics in Environmental Law
- Occasional field courses in the American West
- Yosemite National Park interim, May 2019
Biography
- Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland
Academic interests
- Federal land and resource policy
- The American west
Publications
- Skillen, James R. This Land is My Land: Enduring Public Lands Conflicts (Expected completion, 2019)
- ______. “Interview with Dr. James Skillen: Author, Scholar & Public Lands Supporter,” The Public Lands Monitor, XXXI, no. 2 (Summer 2018): 8-10.
- ______. Review of Yellowstone and the Smithsonian: Centers of Wildlife Conservation, by Diane Smith. The American Historical Review, 122, no. 5 (December 2017): 1615-1616.
- ______. Review of From Nature to Creation: A Christian Vision for Understanding and Loving Our World, by Norman Wirzba. Christian Scholars Review, XLVI, no. 4 (Summer 2017): 426-428.
- ______. “Give Us a King.” Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed Thought, April 29, 2017.
- Skillen, James R. and James W. Skillen. “The Trump Presidency: Everything Up for Grabs.” KLICE Comment, February 2017.
- Skillen, James R. Ecosystem Management: Its Rise, Fall, and Afterlife. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2015.
- ______. The Nation’s Largest Landlord: The Bureau of Land Management in the American West. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2009.
In the news
Faculty Profile: James Skillen
In an ideal world, Calvin professor James Skillen says, his job description would be simple: backpacking. "Unfortunately, though, that’s not how it works," he joked.
Tapping Calvin's maple resources
Environmental studies professor James Skillen is no stranger to syrup.