Keith Bosak

Faculty/Staff Image Assistant Professor of Nature Based Tourism and Recreation

Department of Society and Conservation
College of Forestry and Conservation
University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812

Office: CHCB 467
Phone: 406-243-6062
Email: keith.bosak@umontana.edu

Curriculum Vita: View/Download CV

Personal Summary:

My research is broadly centered in human-environment interactions and the intersection of conservation and development. Within this, my focus is on ecotourism, community development and natural resource management, particularly in mountainous areas and developing countries. The pursuit of these investigations has taken me to a wide range of geographic locations where I have had the opportunity to study a diversity of topics. These include adventure tourism and economic crisis in Argentina, Women’s roles in ecotourism in India and population and development issues in Nepal. Since 2005 I have been conducting field courses with university students in the Indian Himalaya. This experience has been both challenging and immensely rewarding for me and my students. My experiences in India led my partner and I to start a small ecotourism venture called the Nature-Link Institute. We now run several courses a year to the Himalaya. In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors and moving through the landscape. My passions include trail running, rock and ice climbing, snowboarding, high altitude mountaineering and teaching and learning with students in a field setting.

Education:

PhD., 2006 University of Georgia, Department of Geography, Dissertation: “The Local Effects of Global Conservation Policy: Political ecology, environmental justice and the production of scale in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, India.”

M.A., 2000 Appalachian State University, Department of Geography. Thesis: “Developing a Low Impact Model for Tourism: A case study of the Garhwal Himalaya, India.”

B.S., 1998 Appalachian State University, Department of Geography. GIS concentration.

Field of Study:

Nature-based tourism
Ecotourism
Community development
International conservation and development
Geographies of Tourism
GIS

Selected Publications:

Peer-reviewed Publications

Bosak, K. and Schroeder, K. 2005. “Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Gender and Development.” Development in Practice. 15:(2) 233-39.

Bosak, K. and Schroeder, K. 2004. “Community Based Conservation and Ecotourism: A Struggle for Resource Rights in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.” Focus on Geography. 48:(1) 1-6.

Other Publications

Bosak, K. 2006. “From Global Events to Local Livelihoods: The Struggle to Maintain Sustainability in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve” Green Life Magazine. (Forthcoming)

Bosak, K. 2004. “Community Based Ecotourism in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.” The American Alpine News. 11 (244) 16-19.

Bosak, K. 2002. “Sex Ratio Variation in Nepal.” Population Specialty Group Newsletter. 26 (fall 2002).

Bosak, K. 2001. “Nepal’s Secret.” (edited by Neal Lineback) Geography in the News. 579.

CONFERENCE PAPERS

Bosak, K. 2006. “Adventure Tourism and Economic Crisis: Aconcagua Provincial Park, Argentina.” Association of American Geographers Annual Conference.

Bosak, K. 2005. “Nature, Conflict and Biodiversity Conservation in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.” Association of American Geographers Annual Conference.

Bosak, K. 2004. “Pursuing Environmental Justice through Ecotourism: The Case of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.” Association of American Geographers Annual Conference.

Bosak, K. 2003. “Conservation as Environmental Racism?” SEDAAG Student Honors Competition.

Bosak, K. and Rawat, R. 2003. “Local Control and the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, India.” Sustainable Mountain Communities Conference. The Banff Centre for Mountain Culture.

Bosak, K. 2002. “Government Policies and Local Communities: Conflict and Change in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.” Society For Applied Anthropology Annual Meeting.

Bosak, K. 2001. “Sex Ratio Variation in Nepal: Implications for Development.” SEDAAG Student Honors Competition.

Bosak, K. 2000. “The Sacred Geography of the Garhwal Himalaya.” SEDAAG Student Honors Competition.