Faculty & Staff

	Chris Barlow, English Faculty cbarlow@hminet.org Chris Barlow became the English teacher for the RMS in 2007. Growing up in the mountains of East Tennessee, he cultivated a deep passion for life in the outdoors. His love for the mountains brought him to the Colorado College where he graduated with a degree in English and Creative Writing. After college he taught a reading tutorial class at a public middle school in Colorado Springs. He then came to HMI as the Spanish Apprentice for RMS XV. Chris has worked in HMIs Leading Edge and High Peaks Adventure programs along with teaching at the Watershed School and Crown Pointe Academy, both near Boulder, CO. Outside of HMI, Chris spends his time seeking adventure in the mountains, usually climbing rocks, riding a bike, or trying not to face-plant on telemark skis.
	Christopher Barnes, Executive Director christopher@hminet.org A 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 HMI mission, the school’s budget, fundraising, institutional growth, and plows the snow as needed. Each semester, Christopher goes out on one of the RMS 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 School molly@hminet.org 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 Advancement kbartlett@hminet.org Kate is the Director of Advancement at HMI. She coordinates marketing and admissions; development; and strategic planning efforts at HMI. Kate has been at HMI since the fall of 2002. Prior to moving to Leadville, she worked as an outdoor educator and in the entrepreneurial world of high-tech startups as a software designer. Leadville and HMI are a welcome change from her dot com days. When not running around at HMI, Kate can be found trail running, telemark skiing or hanging out with her husband, Colin, and her Australian Shepherd, Syd. 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 School scerise@hminet.org Sheri is the Assistant to the Head of School at HMI. 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 HMI since the first RMS began in 1998. Her life is centered on her husband and their two teenage children. As a family, they enjoy fishing, camping, hunting, snowmobiling, 4-wheeling and generally being out in the mountains.
	Shawn Cornella, Maintenance Staff
	Sam Critchlow, Math Faculty scritchlow@hminet.org Sam joined the RMS to teach math in 2007. A graduate of Amherst College, Sam earned two undergraduate awards in mathematics while completing a B.A. in Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought. Through college, Sam spent his summers working for Darrow Camp, guiding canoe expeditions in Maine and eastern Canada. After graduating in 2005, he split a year working as a camp director and ski patrolling in the Sierras before taking a mathematics faculty position at the Outdoor Academy, a semester school in North Carolina. For the past two summers he has worked in Alaska, guiding for Alaska Crossings and teaching at F.L.O.A.T. School, a marine ecology school for native youth. When not teaching, Sam enjoys mountain biking, snowboarding, canoeing, and cheering for the Red Sox.
	Ben Edmunds, Spanish Faculty bedmunds@hminet.org Ben joined the RMS faculty in 2004. He graduated summa cum laude from Yale with a BA in Spanish. Ben’s academic interests include Hispanic culture in the United States; Latin American history, culture, and literature; environmental ethics and history; and comparative literature. Ben has worked in outdoor education since 1999, instructing courses for NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School), Outward Bound, Camp Nebagamon for Boys, and Yale Outdoors. In his spare time, Ben enjoys cooking, rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing, canoeing, sea kayaking, travel, running, and swimming. At HMI, Ben teaches the Intermediate and Advanced Spanish courses, co-instructs the required leadership and ethics seminar, leads expeditions, and oversees the yearbook.
	Becca Flint, French Faculty rflint@hminet.org Becca is excited to be back at HMI as the new French teacher and first RMS alumna to join the faculty. She recently 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 HMI 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.
	Sally Lein, Business Manager slein@hminet.org Sally is new to HMI but not to the area, having lived in Leadville for nine years. 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 Marshall, Apprentice Program Coordinator cmarshall@hminet.org Carrie Marshall is the Apprentice Coordinator at HMI. 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. For the last three years, Carrie has been teaching 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, sewing for her small belt company and doing house projects with her fiance Cooper.
	Cooper Mallozzi, Science Faculty cmallozzi@hminet.org After several years of living in Montana and Wyoming, Cooper moved to Colorado and joined HMI in 2003. An instructor for NOLS since 2000, he has led backpacking courses in a variety of locations throughout the west and also taught science for two years in Switzerland. Cooper recently completed his Masters of Science in Science Education through Montana State University after attending the Teton Science School prior to teaching at the RMS. When not improving upon their newly acquired house in Leadville, Cooper and his fiance Carrie spend their time skiing, climbing, biking, and fishing around the Upper Arkansas Valley.
	Danny O’Brien, Director of Admissions dobrien@hminet.org Danny has taught both Advanced Placement United States History and a United States History survey course at the RMS; he is currently the Director of Admissions. He taught in a variety of settings before coming to HMI 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.
	Christina Reiff, HMI Programs Manager creiff@hminet.org 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 HMI in the fall of 2006 as the French teacher for the RMS. In 2008, Christina transitioned to become the HMI Programs Manager. She enjoys hiking, traveling, biking, telemarking and cooking.
	Karl Remsen, Mathematics Faculty kremsen@hminet.org 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. He 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. During the summer, Karl works as a director for Camp Winona in Bridgton, Maine. 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 mountains.
	Justin Talbot, Wilderness Program Manager jtalbot@hminet.org Justin began working for HMI 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 Manager rtriezenberg@hminet.org Ryer joined HMI 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 HMI for a long time.
	Matt Turnbull, History Faculty mturnbull@hminet.org A native New Englander, Matt made the move to Leadville to teach history at HMI 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 over a wide range of age groups, including stints as a winter naturalist at Vail, an experiential educator in Plymouth, MA, and a sixth grade English teacher in the Boston area. He has also led and scouted backpacking and bicycle touring trips for Overland Summers, and most recently completed a cross-country bike adventure before he buckled down with the history books. In his free time Matt enjoys running and biking in the mountains, and looks forward to picking up a little Nordic skiing during the long winter at 10,000 feet.

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