2018-2019 Philosophy Symposium – “The Environment, Ethics & Stewardship” (Part 1)

Marisa Diaz-Waian is the Founder & Executive Director of Merlin CCC.  Born in Santa Monica, CA, she spent the majority of her formative years along the coastlines of Southern & Northern California.  As she grew older, Ennis, Bozeman & Helena, MT became regular stomping grounds.  Her summers were frequently spent fly fishing, bird watching & “wandering into the great wide open” with her late father (and buddy), Lee. B. Waian.  Marisa happily “hangs her hat” at Merlin Nature Preserve (located just outside of Helena) & serves as its trustee and steward.  A Summa Cum Laude graduate of San Diego State University, Marisa has an M.A. in Philosophy (and a B.A. in Psychology & Philosophy), was a high school & collegiate scholar-athlete & civilian member of the U.S. Marine Corps (Camp Pendleton) Women’s Basketball Team.  She has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and regularly participates/presents at academic & professional conferences and events.  Marisa also holds credentials in basic & elder mediation, advanced-status philosophical practitioner credentials in Logic-Based Therapy, is an assistant and trainer for the U.S. LBT Institute of Critical Thinking & the National Philosophical Counseling Association, a referee for The Journal of Ethics: An International Philosophical Review, and an Adjunct Philosophy Instructor at Carroll College.

Mark Smillie is a professor in the Philosophy Department at Carroll College. He received a B.A. from Thomas Aquinas College, and a Ph.D. in 1992, from the University of Notre Dame. He specializes in medieval philosophy, the Philosophy of Human Being, and teachers applied ethics courses in Bioethics, Business Ethics, and Environmental Ethics.  He recently co-edited the book, Augustine and the Environment. He has given papers/presentations on Thomas Aquinas, Catholic Identity, End of Life Decision-Making, Artificial Intelligence, and other issues.

Michael Chapman has been a loyal volunteer of the Merlin team since we opened our doors for business in the Winter of 2015.  In addition to research and assistance with many of our community events, Michael donates his time and expert photography skills to Merlin CCC, helping us capture memorable moments at numerous of our organization activities.  He also plays an integral role in the development and implementation of our philosophy walks and symposiums.  A compulsive philosopher and perpetual student, Michael has a B.S. in science from the US Naval Academy and graduate work in solar energy and the future of climate via an Interdisciplinary Studies program at the University of Montana.  He regularly audits philosophy courses at Carroll College, has consistently served as a firetower watchman in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and enjoys writing, philosophy, history of ideas, brain and neuroscience, complexity science, evolution, nature photography, and much more.

Elvira Roncalli is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Carroll College, Helena, Montana, USA. She received her Ph.D. from the Université Catholique de Louvain-La-Neuve, in Belgium, with a dissertation titled “Life of the Mind and Love of the World: The Crucial Role of Judging in Arendt’s Thinking.”  Elvira holds a Laurea degree from the Università degli Studi di Milano, in Italy.  Her special interests include the philosophy of Hannah Arendt, Phenomenology, Continental Philosophy, Social and Political Philosophy, and Feminist/Gender Theory.

Ross P. Nelson is a software engineer turned playwright. His Silicon Valley career included work at a number of now-defunct startups, along with stints at major companies including Intel, Apple, IBM, and Google.  In 2012, he forsook the tech world and ran off to New Orleans to pursue a master’s degree in creative writing.  His work has been performed across the US and on three continents and he is a co-producer of the Last Chance New Play Fest.  Ross has authored several full-length works as well as three-dozen short plays, short fiction, and two books on computer technology. He is also an amateur photographer whose photographs have been published in both outdoor and literary magazines. Ross considers himself more fox than hedgehog, and is happy to curl up with articles on history, evolution, cosmology, or philosophy when not immersed in reading drama or other literature. In addition to regularly attending and volunteering for Merlin, Ross also serves on the Merlin strategy board.

Marie Z. Bourgeois is a civil engineer, certified professional biomimicry professional, and associate professor at Arizona State University.  A farm girl, activist, and lover of the humanities, Marie enjoys exploring and hiking about outdoor, the arts, gardening, learning, and laughter.  Marie regularly attends Merlin events, volunteers, and serves on the Merlin strategy board.

Jonathan Drake, a Helena native, joined the Merlin volunteer crew in the summer of 2018. He received his B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Montana and is volunteering while he applies to graduate school to further his study of new religious movements. As part of his volunteer work, Jonathan will be regularly contributing to the resources library of our website and assisting in several of our philosophy in the community events.  Jonathan believes in applying the insights of critical theory and materialist analysis to power and culture, so that we might live a more deliberate life. In his free time he enjoys rereading the jacket cover of Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit.

Michael Chapman has been a loyal volunteer of the Merlin team since we opened our doors for business in the Winter of 2015.  In addition to research and assistance with many of our community events, Michael donates his time and expert photography skills to Merlin CCC, helping us capture memorable moments at numerous of our organization activities.  He also plays an integral role in the development and implementation of our philosophy walks and symposiums.  A compulsive philosopher and perpetual student, Michael has a B.S. in science from the US Naval Academy and graduate work in solar energy and the future of climate via an Interdisciplinary Studies program at the University of Montana.  He regularly audits philosophy courses at Carroll College, has consistently served as a firetower watchman in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and enjoys writing, philosophy, history of ideas, brain and neuroscience, complexity science, evolution, nature photography, and much more.

Max Milton is a scholar, environmentalist, and dedicated humanitarian.  An avid traveler and lover of the arts and learning, Max is a partner of Milton Ranch, LLC and serves in a variety of capacities in the Helena community, including a member of the Merlin strategy team.

Stephen Maly is a founder of Helena Civic Television and its statewide public affairs affiliate TV Montana (TVMT). At HCTV, he’s also in charge of Special Projects, which have included, of late, the Montana Heritage Tour series about small rural museums, and the celebratory music video Helena Happy, as well as short documentaries about humanitarian intervention in Kosovo, Louis Riel in Montana, and the making of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, among other things.  With a B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Colorado & an M.A. from Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, Stephen also spent a year at the University of Sussex (UK) as a Rotary Scholar. 

Andy Villalobos is a senior Mathematics major at Carroll College with a minor in Computer Science. Andy has been working in Information Technology (IT) since he was in high school near his home in Clyde Park, Montana. During his time as a student at Carroll, he’s worked in the Makerspace on occasional 3-D modeling and printing, designing parts of the website, and designing the layouts for the computer labs in Simperman Hall. He also frequently sets up recording equipment for events and lecture recordings. Looking forward, Andy is considering a future in risk analysis or data analytics.

Connor Jones is a Junior at Carrol College majoring in both Computer Science and Theatre.  Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Connor enjoys photography, videography, and improv comedy as hobbies when not working on a Carroll Theatre production.