2018-2019 Philosophy Symposium – “The Environment, Ethics & Stewardship” (Part 2)

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.

Chris Fuller is the Dean of Mission Integration and Effectiveness and the Director of the Hunthausen Center for Peace & Justice here at Carroll College.  Chris earned his Ph.D. at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif., where he concentrated on blending biblical studies with film studies. His B.A. is in Mass Media Communications from UCLA and his M.A. is in Biblical Studies from the Graduation Theological Union. From 1995 until his hiring at Carroll, Dr. Fuller taught at Saint Mary’s College of California near San Francisco and served as its campus minister. Outside of work, Dr. Fuller’s main hobby is spending time with his family and photography.

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.

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 senior at Carroll 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.