Leah Wilds

Department of Political Science
University of Nevada
Reno, Nevada 89557-0060

Education

Ph.D. in Political Science, 1988, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Dissertation: Organizational Behavior in the Implementation of Regulatory Water Policy.

M.A. in Political Science, 1983, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.  Thesis:  A Systems Analysis:  Areas and Activities of State Interest.

B.A. in English Literature, 1980, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

Areas of Interest

Public Policy

Emphasis: Environmental Politics

Professional Experience

2000 - Chair, Department of Political Science, University of Nevada, Reno.

1993 -2000 Associate Professor and Director, Graduate Programs in Political Science, Political Science Department, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada

Courses: Introduction to American Government; Western Tradition 203: The American Experience; American Political Process; Intergovernmental Relations; Seminar in Public Policy; Policy Management and Implementation; Environmental Politics and Policy; Managing Western Resources: Land and Water; Global Environmental Policy; Issues in Natural Resource Policy: Acid Rain; Politics and Literature; Women and Politics; Politics Through Film

1988-1993 Assistant Professor, Political Science Department University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada

Courses: same as above

1980 -1984 Policy Analyst, Water Resources Analysis Section, National Ecology Research Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fort Collins, Colorado

Conducted research on policy analysis and water resources management; developed, coordinated, and taught various U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service training courses; advised state, local and federal water resource managers on environmental law, policy, and regulations; developed techniques for policy analysis of resource conflicts

1984 -1988: Teaching Assistant, Political Science Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

1980 - 1986 Research Assistant, Political Science Department,

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

Honors/Awards

1997 - 98 Alan Bible Teaching Excellence Award, A/Y 97/98

Publications

Books and Monographs

Coming to Terms: Aboriginal Resource Rights in ContemporaryAustralia. Canberra, Australia: Commonwealth Scientific, Industrial Research Organisation, 1998.

Politics, Culture and Society: Readings in the American Tradition (with Richard Davies and John Marini). New York: McGraw Hill: 1993).

Understanding Who Wins: Organizational Behavior and Environmental Politics. New York, NY: Garland Publishing Company, 1990.

The Legal-Institutional Analysis Model: A Validation Study. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, U.S.F.W.S. Biological Report 88(33), 1988.

New Perspectives in Institutional Analysis: The Legal-Institutional Analysis Model. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, U.S.F.W.S. Biological Report 86(9), 1986.

Articles and Book Chapters

"The Water Challenge: Contemporary Issues in Northern Nevada" (with Richard Acton), in Public Policy in Nevada: The New Millennium" (Dennis L. Soden and Eric Herzik, eds.). Dubuque: Kendall-Hunt Publishers, forthcoming 2000.

"Resolving the Water Dilemma: Past Problems and Future Trends" (with Richard Acton), in Public Policy in Nevada: Looking Towards the Year 200 and Beyond (Dennis L. Soden and Eric Herzik, eds.). Dubuque: Kendall-Hunt Publishers, 1997.

"Reclamation and the Politics of Change" (with Danny Gonzales and Glen Krutz), Nevada Historical Society Quarterly, Volume 37, No. 3 (Fall 1994):173-199.

"Environmental Politics and Policy in an Implementation Era: A View From the Western States" (with James P. Lester). In Environmental Politics and Public Policy in the West (Zachary Smith, ed.). Dubuque: Kendall-Hunt, 1993.

"The Changing Face of Regulatory Federalism: Decentralization or Nationalization?" (with Richard Ganzel). In Regulatory Federalism, Natural Resources and Environmental Management (Michael Hamilton, ed.). Washington, D.C.: Natural Resources Section, American Society for Public Administration, 1991.

"The Utilization of Public Policy Analysis: A Conceptual Framework" (with James P. Lester). Evaluation and Program Planning, Volume 13, 1990:313-319.

"A Negotiator's Checklist: Success Through Preparation." In Hydro Review, Volume IV, No. 4, 1985:56-60.

"Conflict Resolution and Negotiation in the Licensing Process" (with Berton L. Lamb). In F.W. Olson, et al. (eds.), Proceedings of the Symposium on Small Hydropower and Fisheries. Bethesda, Maryland: American Fishery Society, 1985.

Invited Papers/Presentations

"Science, Policy and Politics: Bridging the Gaps." Presentation given to the Department of Wildlife and Ecology, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Alice Springs, Northern Territory, February 5, 1997.

"Natural Resource Policy and the Politics of Change: Old Problems, New Solutions." Paper delivered at the Seminar Series, Office of Natural Resource Policy, Department of Land and Water Conservation, Sydney, New South Wales, July 24, 1997. Also given by invitation as a public presentation at CSIRO Auditorium, Floreat Park, Perth, Western Australia, July 18, 1997.

Conference Papers

"Three Steps Forward, One Back: Aboriginal Resource Rights in Contemporary Australia" (with Jacqui Grandfield). Paper presented at the annual Western Social Science Meeting, Fort Worth, Texas, April 21-24, 1999.

"Negotiating Water Rights: A Never-Ending Saga" (with Richard Action). Paper presented at the 1996 Western Social Science Association, Annual Meeting, Reno, Nevada, April 17-20, 1996.

"Small Steps on the Soft Path: Changing North American Energy Policies" (with Richard Ganzel). Paper presented at the Western Social Science Association Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, April 23-26, 1992.

"Through the Black Box: Reclamation Politics and the Administration of Change" (with Glen Krutz). Paper presented at the American Society for Public Administration, Region VIII, 1991 Conference, September 8-11, 1991, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1991.

"On the Cutting Edge: Overcoming Obstacles to the Resolution of Water Resource Conflicts in the West" (with Danny Gonzales). Paper presented at the Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, March 20-23, 1991.

"Federalism and Natural Resource Policy: The Changing Face of Energy Development in Nevada" (with Richard Ganzel). Paper presented at the Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 29-April 1, 1989.

"Regulatory Effects of Energy Production in the West: A Strategic Interaction Model" (with Richard Ganzel). Paper presented at the Western Social Science Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 26-May 1, 1989.

"State Review of Unconventional Power Projects" (with Richard Ganzel). Paper presented at the Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 29-April 1, 1989.

"The Utilization of Public Policy Analysis: A Conceptual Framework," (with James P. Lester). Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Political Science Association, Chicago, Ill., April 14-16, 1988.

"Role Analysis:  Use of the Legal-Institutional Analysis Model for Instream Flows."  Paper presented at the Annual Western Social Science Association Meeting, Reno, Nevada, April 23-25, 1986. 

"Parties, Politics, and Income Tax" (with G. Wayne Peak). Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Southwestern Political Science Association, San Antonio, Texas, March, 1986.

"Legal/Institutional Analysis in Water Resources Management: A Model."  Paper presented at the 21st Annual American Water Resources Association Conference, Tucson, Arizona, August 11-16, 1985.

"Roles, Resources and Decision-making Behavior: An Analysis." Paper presented at the Annual Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada, March 28-30, 1985.  Las Vegas, Nevada.

Instructional Enhancement Activities

Teaching and Learning Styles Workshop, University of Nevada's Teaching Enhancement Program, Spring 2000.

Web-site Design Workshop (semester long), University of Nevada's Teaching Enhancement Program, Spring 2000.

Developing Computer-Enhanced Courses—A Workshop (semester long), University of Nevada's Teaching Enhancement Program, Spring 2000.

Sexual Harassment Workshop, University of Nevada Affirmative Action Office, Spring 2000.

"Politics, Culture and Society: The American Experience." Basis for Instructional Video developed for the Western Tradition Core Curriculum, University of Nevada, Reno (video captures major socioeconomic and political events in American history; the turn of the 20th century to 1992). Funded in part by grant through the Office of Core Curriculum and University Assessment, University of Nevada, Reno, Summer 1992.

Grant Activity

$1,500 Core Curriculum Enhancement Grant, Summer 1992 (grant provided to develop Western Traditions 203 Documents and Video Collections)

$1,000 Faculty Development Grant, University of Nevada, Reno, Summer 1991 (grant furnished to revise introductory American government course--PSC 101--so that it met Core Curriculum standards for the Social Sciences)

$5,000 Grant from the Canadian Government for continued support of the Western North American Research and Instructional Development Program, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada (with Richard Ganzel), Fall 1990.

$1,500 Sierra Club, to support graduate student internship position (Public Service Internship Program, Political Science Department, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada). Fall 1990.

$6,000 Grant from the Canadian Government to facilitate research and teaching within the Western North American Research and Instructional Development Program at the University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada (with Richard Ganzel), Fall 1989.

$2,400 Instructional Enhancement Grant from the Office of Academic Affairs, University of Nevada (with Richard Ganzel), Reno, Nevada, Fall 1989.

Community and University Service

2000-2001 Member, College of Arts and Science Master Plan Committee

2000-2000 Member, UCCSN Discipline Subcommittee of the Common Course Numbering Committee

1998-1999 Chair, Alan Bible Teaching Excellence Award Committee

1998-2000 Member, Graduate Council

1993-2000 Director, Graduate Studies, Political Science Department, University of Nevada, Reno

1993-2000 Chair, Committee for Student, Staff and Faculty Relations, Political Science Department, University of Nevada, Reno

1993-1998 Member, Committee to Select recipient of annual Graduate School Dissertation Year Fellowship in the Humanities and Social Sciences

1993-2000 Member, Political Science Department's Personnel Committee

1998-1999 Chair, Political Science Department's Personnel Committee

1988-2000 Chair and Committee Member, Ph.D. and M.A., and M.P.A. Committees (various)

1989-2000 Graduate Curriculum Committee

1997 Member, College Personnel Committee (Fall, 1997)

1997 Member, Public Administration Search Committee

1995-1996 Faculty Advisor, Women's Political Action Network

1995 Member, Alan Bible Teaching Excellence Award Committee

1993-1994 Member, College Personnel Committee

1994 Member, Western Traditions Visiting Lecturer Search Committee

1993 Member, Arboretum Committee

1993 Member, Western Traditions Subcommittee of the Core Board

1988-1992 Director, Public Service Internship Program, Political Science Department, University of Nevada, Reno

1992 Chair, Selection Committee, UNR Representatives to Rutgers University National Education for Women's Leadership Program

1990-1992 President, Sierra Nevada Chapter, American Society for Public Administration

1990-1992 Member, College of Arts and Science Apportionment Committee

1990-1991 Member, Faculty Enhancement Grant Committee

1989-1990 Chair, College of Arts and Science Apportionment Committee

1988-1989 Public Administration Search Committee

Professional Activities

Moderator, Panel on International Environmental Issues and Experiences, Western Social Science Association, Annual Meeting, Fort Worth, Texas, April 21-24, 1999.

Chair, Panel on "Sagebrush II: Politics, Policy and Intergovernmental Relations." Western Social Science Association Annual Meeting, Reno, Nevada, April 17-20, 1996.

Discussant, Panel on "Urban Environmental Management: A New Agenda for Local Governments." Western Social Science Association Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, April 23-26, 1992.

Moderator, Panel on "The Evolution of the Acid Rain Issue," Western Social Science Association Annual Meeting, Reno, Nevada, April 1991.

Discussant, Acid Rain Panel, Western Social Science Association Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon, April 1990

Section Coordinator, Natural Resources Section, Western Social Science Association Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, April 27-30, 1988.

Panel Chair, "Planning for Water Resources Negotiation," American Water Resources 23rd Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah, November 1-6, 1987.

Panel Chair, "Institutional Analysis for Natural Resource Management," Western Social Science Association Annual Meeting, Reno, Nevada, April 23-26, 1986.

Professional Memberships

Western Political Science Association

Western Social Science Association

Women's Political Science Caucus

Policy Studies Organization