Dr. Mary Witlacil is an Assistant Professor of Political
Science. She is an environmental political theorist who draws on contemporary
political thought and Critical Theory. Her research considers the relationship
between climate change, progress, consolation, and pessimism to consider how we
cope with the climate crisis, and environmental injustice. Thus far, her
research has been published in New Political Science. She is a research
affiliate with the Center for Sustainable Solutions at the South Dakota School
of Mines and Technology and is open to collaboration on topics related to
climate politics, environmental politics, environmental justice, and Indigenous
politics.
Dr. Witlacil received her BA in Political Science and French
from the University of Colorado in Denver, her MA in Politics and International
Affairs from Northern Arizona University, and her Ph.D. in Environmental
Politics and Policy from Colorado State University.
Dr. Witlacil teaches a range of courses, including
introductory classes like Political Ideologies, American Political Issues, and
Global World Problems. She also teaches upper division courses like
Environmental Law and Policy, the History of Political Thought, and will teach
the Politics of Nature and Technology in Fall of 2024. In all of her classes, she
strives to create an inclusive space to encourage compassionate debate with the
goal of showing students that disagreements, conflict, and openness are key
elements of democratic engagement. She hopes that by learning about politics
students will be inspired to lead more politically engaged and aware
lives—whether in their careers as engineers, or if they choose to become public
servants, work for NGOs, get involved in activism, or simply become more
informed participants in the democratic process.