Faculty & Staff
 | Christopher Barnes, Executive DirectorA passion for intellectual and outdoor pursuits led Christopher and Molly to found the High Mountain Institute and Rocky Mountain Semester in 1995. Since 1990, Christopher has actively worked in wilderness and traditional classrooms with young adults. After graduating from Colorado College with a BA in Physics, he spent two years studying nature philosophy and apprenticing with a wide variety of outdoor programs in Scandinavia. Field experience with the National Outdoor Leadership School and Deer Hill Expeditions combined with two years of teaching physics at a small boarding school laid the seeds for the dream of creating the High Mountain Institute. Day to day, Christopher oversees implementation of the High Mountain Institute mission, the school’s budget, fundraising, institutional growth, and plows the snow as needed. Each semester, Christopher goes out on one of the Rocky Mountain Semester expeditions and teaches a few classes in the areas of leadership and decision-making. Time with family, skiing, sailing, and reading fill out the rest of his schedule. |
 | Molly Barnes, Head of Schoolmolly@hminet.org x104 As a co-founder of the High Mountain Institute and Rocky Mountain Semester, Molly’s passion for the combination of wilderness experiences and challenging academics is evident. In addition to her administrative roles, Molly’s participation in each semester includes leading expeditions, teaching a few classes, and inviting groups of students home for dinner. After graduating from Colgate University with a BA in Political Science, Molly worked as an assistant teacher and wilderness instructor at a residential treatment center in Jackson, Wyoming; led wilderness and service courses for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Deer Hill Expeditions; and worked in the residential life office at Colorado Mountain College. When not at HMI, Molly enjoys trail running, skiing, sailing, learning to windsurf, spending time with Christopher and their sons, Porter & Jack, and throwing the ball for her black lab, Zuby. |
 | Kate Bartlett, Director of Advancementkbartlett@hminet.org x110 Kate is the Director of Advancement. She coordinates marketing and admissions, development, and strategic planning efforts at the High Mountain Institute. Kate has been at the High Mountain Institute since the fall of 2002. Her first role was to start the school's summer programs. In 2006, she transitioned to Advancement. Prior to moving to Leadville, Kate worked as an outdoor educator and in the entrepreneurial world of high-tech startups. Leadville and the High Mountain Institute are a welcome change from her dot com days. When not running around at HMI, Kate can be found hanging out with her husband, Colin, and daughter, Annie. In her free time, Kate loves trail running and telemark and nordic skiing. Kate has a BA in American Studies from Amherst College and an MBA from the University of Denver. |
 | Sheri Cerise, Assistant to the Head of Schoolscerise@hminet.org x106 Sheri is the Assistant to the Head of School at the High Mountain Institute. Her main job is helping Molly and tracking student expenses. She is a Leadville native who also works at two local businesses that her husband’s family has owned and run for 29 years. She has done consulting for local restaurants. Sheri has worked at the High Mountain Institute since the first Rocky Mountain Semester began in 1998. Her life is centered on her husband and their two children. As a family, they enjoy fishing, camping, hunting, snowmobiling, 4-wheeling and generally being out in the mountains. |
 | Shawn Cornella, Maintenance Staffscornella@hminet.org x117 Shawn began working at the High Mountain Institute in the summer of 2007. Besides being High Mountain Institute's "Mr. Fix-It," Shawn is often found painting, wood working, or building something. A Colorado native, he is avid in many outdoor activities such as fly fishing, hiking, and climbing. One of Shawn's favorite things to do is make other people laugh.
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 | Sam Critchlow, Math FacultySam joined the Rocky Mountain Semester faculty in 2007. A graduate of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics and Amherst College, he earned two undergraduate awards in mathematics while completing a B.A. in Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought. Sam has been teaching and guiding young people for over eight years, starting at Darrow Camp, where he led canoe expeditions in Maine and eastern Canada for four summers before becoming assistant director in 2005. Following a season as a ski patroller in Lake Tahoe, Sam joined the faculty of the Outdoor Academy in 2006. After three summers leading therapeutic and educational wilderness trips in Alaska, Sam most recently led the 2009 Kieve West I summer program for the High Mountain Institute. In his spare time, he enjoys snowboarding, mountain biking, canoeing, DJing, and worrying about the Red Sox. |
 | Rebecca Flint, French Facultyrflint@hminet.org x113 Becca is excited to be back at the High Mountain Institute as the French teacher and first Rocky Mountain Semester alumna to join the faculty. She graduated magna cum laude from Colby College with majors in French and Human Development and a minor in Women’s Studies. While at Colby, Becca enjoyed leading trips through the woods and along the coast of Maine for freshman orientation as well as throughout the year for the Colby Outing Club. She also spent a year studying in France and one month in Senegal. Beyond her love of French language and culture, she enjoys working to empower young women and has spent time leading groups of middle school girls through Hardy Girls Healthy Women in Maine and Smart-Girl in Denver. Becca returned to the High Mountain Institute in the summer of 2004 as the Summer Apprentice and again in 2005 as an Apprentice on the High Peaks Adventure course. Becca is also now a NOLS instructor. In her free time, Becca enjoys running, hiking, skiing, biking, yoga, traveling, baking, and spending time with her family back east. |
 | Becca Katz, Spanish Facultybkatz@hminet.org x123 Becca is a spunky Wisconsinite at heart, though she spent a good portion of the last decade in the Stanford vortex where she received her B.A. in Latin American History and M.S. in Earth Systems and then worked as a lecturer for the Earth Systems Program. During college, Becca participated in a NOLS semester in Patagonia and studied in Bolivia with SIT. Outside of academics, Becca has spent many years leading canoeing and backpacking expeditions for Camp Manito-wish YMCA. She has also instructed explorations in Bolivia and India for Where There Be Dragons. Becca worked for REALMS Middle School in Bend, OR as a program specialist, humanities, and Spanish teacher. She is thrilled to join the Rocky Mountain Semester faculty as the Spanish Teacher, where her call to explore other cultures and languages peacefully coexists with her passion for the outdoors and experiential education. When she's not working, Becca loves being outside, spending time with friends, talking, and hanging out with her husband Eric. |
 | Audrey Kruse, Science Facultyakruse@hminet.org x122 Audrey has been the science teacher at the High Mountain Institute since 2008. She graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in Anthropology. During college, she led orientation trips for incoming freshman and worked as a guide for her university's outing club. After graduation, Audrey began working at The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY, teaching Environmental Science and Biology. During the summers, she has taught German and led hiking and canoeing trips in the north woods of Minnesota at Concordia Language Villages. She has also worked with the High Mountain Institute summer programs, instructing for a Leading Edge trip this past summer. In her free time, Audrey enjoys climbing, biking, snowboarding, yoga and a good game of Ultimate Frisbee. |
 | Sally Lein, Business Managerslein@hminet.org x102 Sally has lived in Leadville for twelve years and, for the past three, has been the High Mountain Institute's Business Manager. She is a CPA and graduated from Boston University. Sally’s background includes eight years in public accounting and ten years in industry, most recently with Vail Resorts, Inc as the Finance Director of Keystone. She enjoys traveling, hiking, biking, skiing, recreational running and spending time with her husband and son, Hector. |
 | Carrie Mallozzi, Apprentice Program Coordinatorcmallozzi@hminet.org x108 Carrie Marshall is the Apprentice Coordinator at the High Mountain Institute. She completed the graduate program at the Teton Science School in Jackson, WY and then moved to Laramie to gain a Masters in Science at the University of Wyoming. Her undergraduate degree was in Biology and Environmental Studies at St. Lawrence University. Prior to the High Mountain Institute, Carrie taught science and outdoor education at Colorado Mountain College, Outward Bound and the National Outdoor Leadership School. When not coaching apprentices, Carrie is most likely to be skiing, biking, climbing, gardening, and doing house projects with her husband Cooper. |
 | Danny O’Brien, Director of Admissionsdobrien@hminet.org x109 Danny has taught both Advanced Placement United States History and a United States History survey course at the Rocky Mountain Semester; he is currently the Director of Admissions. He taught in a variety of settings before coming to the High Mountain Institute in 2004, including in The Bahamas at The Island School, and in the public schools of Breckenridge, Colorado and Providence, Rhode Island. Danny has also worked as an expedition leader for a variety of organizations, including Longacre Expeditions and Camp Pemigewassett in New Hampshire. Danny participated in a Gilder Lehrman Institute seminar at Stanford University on the American West in the 20th Century. He studied World War I and historical memory in England, France, and Belgium through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. During a summer institute at the Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs, Danny also has examined the causes of the American Civil War. He grades Advanced Placement United States History exams for the College Board. Danny received his undergraduate degree in History and Geography from Middlebury. |
 | Em Powers, Marketing Coordinatorepowers@hminet.org x121 Originally from New England, Em graduated with distinction from the University of Colorado in Boulder with a BA in English, a BASA in Photography, and a minor in Environmental Biology. She is a passionate travel-writer and avid photographer. Em is also an Rocky Mountain Semester VIII alumna as well as a previous High Peaks Adventure apprentice, Rocky Mountain Semester XX English apprentice, and Leading Edge Staff. This past summer, she was the Assistant Summer Programs Manger for the High Mountain Institute's summer programs. When not busy at HMI, Em is often found running, baking, telemark skiing, reading, or dancing around to bluegrass music. |
 | Christina Reiff, HMI Programs Managercreiff@hminet.org x107 Born and raised in Switzerland, Christina first moved to the U.S. to attend Dartmouth College where she graduated with a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Government. During college, Christina led outdoor orientation trips for incoming freshman. After graduating, Christina led backpacking and bike touring trips for Overland Summers and then worked in their office for four years, coordinating their international programs. Christina joined the High Mountain Institute in the fall of 2006 as the French teacher for the Rocky Mountain Semester. In 2008, Christina transitioned to become the High Mountain Institute Programs Manager. She enjoys hiking, traveling, biking, telemarking and cooking. |
 | Karl Remsen, Mathematics Facultykremsen@hminet.org x120 Karl was hired in 2005 to be the second mathematics teacher for the Rocky Mountain Semester. Karl graduated from Williams College in 2003 with a degree in Geosciences and Mathematics. After graduation he taught a variety of programs to middle school students at the Colorado Outdoor Education Center in Florissant, Colorado. Karl spent a fall teaching geology and math for the Swiss Semester program in Zermatt, Switzerland. He has also worked at a nordic ski center and backcountry restaurant outside of Leadville. He is an avid nordic skier and the coach of the Lake County High School nordic ski team during the winter months. Karl also enjoys running and hiking in the local mountains. |
 | Katie Reynolds, English Facultykreynolds@hminet.org x124 Katie joined the Rocky Mountain Semester faculty in 2008 after completing the Apprentice Program in 2007, and having been a student in Rocky Mountain Semester V. She received her B.A. in English with a focus in expository writing from Brown University in 2006. Katie was a member of the Brown women's crew team, and a three time national champion. Additionally, she enjoyed working with Brown Outdoor Leadership Training to support rising sophomores by developing leadership skills and a strong community. During the summer of 2006 Katie led a cross-country bike trip from Providence, RI to Seattle, WA in support of affordable housing with Bike and Build. She has mentored runaway youth in shelter, and counseled youth and families in a crisis intervention center. In addition to instructing summer leadership courses for Deer Hill and the High Mountain Institute, Katie has led for outdoor programs at the Dunn School and the Oregon Episcopal School. In her free time she enjoys skiing, running, eating cookies and breakfast, cycling, hiking, and cooking. |
 | Justin Talbot, Wilderness Program Managerjtalbot@hminet.org x111 Justin began working for the High Mountain Institute in 2006. As the Wilderness Programs Manager Justin oversees expedition planning, wilderness pernits, and school wide risk management. Justin developed his interest in the outdoors over several trips to Alaska in his teens. At the University of Connecticut Justin earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies, after which he went on to work as a environmental educator and a climbing and mountaineering guide. In 2001 Justin went to work as a field instructor for for the National Outdoor Leadership School. After several years dividing time between working for NOLS and working ski patrol Justin enrolled in the University of New Hampshire earning a M.S. in Outdoor Education. When not at work Justin enjoys climbing, skiing, and traveling with his wife Cheryl. |
 | Ryer Triezenberg, Cook & Kitchen ManagerRyer joined the High Mountain Institute in January 2007 after a decade of owning and managing the Tennesse Pass Cookhouse at Ski Cooper. He has a B.S. from The Colorado College. Ryer started his career with eight years at the Pine Creek Cookhouse in Aspen. Aside from his many culinary talents, Ryer enjoys skiing, swimming, hiking, golfing, entertaining his friends and traveling. Living in Leadville for more than a decade, Ryer still finds the beauty of the mountains awe-inspiring. He hopes to be at the High Mountain Institute for a long time. |
 | Matt Turnbull, History Facultymturnbull@hminet.org x114 A native New Englander, Matt made the move to Leadville to teach history at the High Mountain Institute in 2007. After graduating from Bowdoin College in 2000, he earned a Master's Degree in history from the University of Michigan. He has taught in a variety of settings, including stints as a winter naturalist at Vail, an experiential educator in Plymouth, MA, and a sixth grade English teacher in the Boston area. This past summer, he participated in a weeklong "Federal Trials and Great Debates in American History" teaching institute in Washington, DC. He has also led and scouted backpacking and bicycle touring trips for Overland Summers, and most recently led the High Mountain Institute's Leading Edge Explorer. In his free time Matt enjoys running and biking in the mountains and cross-country skiing through Leadville's winter. |