Sandia Mountain Natural History Center Staff

Paul Mauermann has been with the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science since 2000 and has served as the SMNHC manager since 2004. He is originally from the Philadelphia area and moved to New Mexico in 1995. Paul has a degree in History and American Studies from the University of Delaware. Paul began his informal education career with the National Park Service where he worked at Independence National Historical Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Besides teaching the Ecology Field Program at the Center, Paul is responsible for most administrative and planning tasks.

Chris Modelski a Michigan native that made the move to the warmer winters of New Mexico. He is a graduate Western Michigan University with a degree in Environmental Studies. He moved to New Mexico in 1999 and has worked at the Center since 2003. As well as teaching the ecology field program at the Center, Chris is involved with the recent conservation efforts at the Center, planning and organizing of our public program series, creating and maintaining exhibits, facility and trail maintenance and most recently roof repairs.

Susie Davis is a Michigan native who joined the staff of the SMNHC in fall of 2004. Susie is one of the teachers for our fifth grade ecology program and also plays a big part in scheduling and curriculum development. Susie has taken numerous classes on wilderness tracking and awareness and has been working in environmental education since fall of 2001. She graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor's degree and taught high school science for several years before deciding to get into experiential environmental education. In 2001 she got an internship at Glen Helen Nature Preserve Outdoor Education Center in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where she worked for a year. In 2003 she moved to New Mexico worked at Fenton Ranch (Outdoor Education site for Manzano Day School)and at the Museum of Natural History and Science as a Young Explorers' summer camp instructor before working at the SMNHC.

A.J. Lapre is the new Outreach Coordinator for the SMNHC. He is a Political Science major at the University of New Mexico. A.J. started as a volunteer with the center in March 2006 and also served as an instructor for several of New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Young Explorers summer camps. He was recently hired to oversee our 2006-2007 Outreach Program

Mike Hermann is the Maintenance Technician here at the SMNHC. Mike was born in North Texas but has spent the last 60 years of his life here in New Mexico. After serving with the U.S. Marine Corp, Mike attended NM State University where he graduated with a degree in Fine Arts and a minor in Art Education. He spent the mid-70s teaching Art in Los Alamos Schools and spent his summers backpacking, camping and teaching environmental studies to Los Alamos students. After seven years of teaching, Mike became a free-lance artist. After he retired, he began looking for an opportunity that would allow him to stay involved in his outdoor interests, which brought him to the SMNHC.

Julie Hall grew up in Michigan, but has lived in upstate New York, Ohio, and now in New Mexico for over 21 years. She is our APS teacher liaison. Julie has been working with SMNHC for nearly eight years now. Julie says, "This is the best teaching/learning environment possible. You get to see light bulbs go on over the children's heads constantly during the day- so much more so than in a classroom."

Jamie Minich was hired in August 2005 as the SMNHC Contract Teacher. Jamie is a Pennsylvania native and is not new to the outdoor education field. She graduated from Clarion University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science Education Degree. She taught at McKeever Environmental Learning Center in Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania before moving to New Mexico. Before joining the SMNHC staff, Jamie worked with the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Student Ecology Research Program. Jamie is one of the teachers for our fifth grade ecology program.