FB Pixel Skip to Main Content
Western Colorado University / Ian Billick
Ian Billick

Ian Billick

Adjunct Faculty, Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory
LinkedIn Profile
Personal Website

Education

Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UC-San Diego

Schools

Academic Programs

Biography

With a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UC-San Diego, Ian was trained as a population and community ecologist with a field focus on ants and ant mutualisms. He has been the Executive Director of RMBL since 2000, where his focus is on leading a scientific institution serving field scientists and students. He chairs the National Science Foundation’s Biology Leadership Council for Research Experience for Undergraduates Program and serves on the Advisory Board of the Toolik Field Station (Univ. of Alaska) on the northern slope of Alaska. He was senior editor of the Ecology of Place (Univ. of Chicago Press) and recently published the popular book Explore/Discover. He has been actively involved in land management, including chairing Gunnison County’s Planning Commission for almost 4 years, and supporting large-scale land conservation through his work at RMBL. He currently serves as an elected official on the Gunnison County Metropolitan Recreation District and has gotten interested in managing the impacts of recreation on natural landscapes.

Take the Next Step

Apply to
Western Students pose for a photo on top of Mount Crested Butte in the summer

Apply to
Western

We understand that applying to a university can be daunting, which is why we make our admission process as simple and straightforward as possible. Learn more about applying to your program of choice at Western.

Visit
Western Colorado Hall with the Palisades in the background on a bluebird day.

Visit
Western

The best way to find out what makes Western such a special place is to experience it for yourself. Our student-led tours give you an insider’s perspective on everything from academics to student life.

Alumni
Community A group of four alumni look at an old photo that one of them picked up from a selection of photos that were printed and laid out for the Ski Team Social event.

Alumni
Community

We keep the Mountaineer spirit going strong within our alumni community. Whether getting together with friends at an annual event, making a donation or mentoring a student, graduates continue to play an important role in the Western community.

Request
Information A few students pose for a photo behind the Multicultural Center table at the Admitted Student Day Club Fair.

Request
Information

Want to discover more about Western? Request information today to get in touch with the admissions team.