LTCC welcomes new faculty member in Wilderness Education and Outdoor Leadership

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After an extensive nationwide search for the perfect candidate to fill Lake Tahoe Community College’s (LTCC) first-ever, full-time, tenure-track faculty position in Wilderness Education and Outdoor Leadership, LTCC is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Clinton Culp, an avid outdoorsman.

Currently an Assistant Professor of Outdoor Adventure Leadership at Montana State University-Billings, Dr. Culp was previously a Clinical Assistant Professor at Washington State University in the Sport Management Department. He earned his Doctorate in Education and Master of Science in Recreation from the University of Idaho, and his Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from West Texas A&M University.

LTCC Superintendent/President Jeff DeFranco said, “Dr. Culp brings the perfect mix of technical, leadership, and people skills and experience, and he is the right choice to lead this exceptional program. We fully intend to develop the go-to, premier wilderness education program west of the Rockies, and Dr. Culp is the right person to take it to that level of excellence. His one, five, and 10-year program plans that he shared with us were very impressive, and will result in a world-class program with a national reputation.”

The LTCC Wilderness Education program integrates learning and living by using textbooks, classroom learning, and Lake Tahoe’s incredible natural landscape along with field courses throughout California and Nevada. It provides students with unique challenges and requires faculty who can teach basic competencies in outdoor activities, wilderness first aid, environmental awareness, and leadership theory and skills. Students who successfully complete the program become outdoor leaders around the world.

When asked about his family’s move from Montana, Dr. Culp said, “My wife Lisa and I are very excited about coming to the South Lake Tahoe area. It’s a coming home of sorts for me, since the Sierra Nevada is where I fell in love with the mountains, and the next adventure for Lisa and I! I’m especially excited about leading the Wilderness Education and Outdoor Leadership program at LTCC. I cannot think of another location that is better situated to prepare the next generation of wilderness educators and leaders.”

He continued, “Leadership is about developing relationships and moving towards common goals. One of our areas of focus will be fostering relationships with our partners (government, not for profit, and commercial) so we can be responsive to and best position our students to be productive leaders within the industry.”

President DeFranco said that Dr. Culp will join the faculty of LTCC on July 1. He noted that during Dr. Culp’s work with Montana State University-Billings (MSUB), “He taught classes ranging from leadership theory, research and methods, climbing and mountaineering, and whitewater rafting to avalanche awareness and rescue, and developed related programs for associate degree, bachelor’s degree and master’s degree programs while serving as the faculty advisor for the MSUB student Veterans’ Organization and the Outdoor Club. Dr. Culp ensured that MSUB became an American Mountain Guides Climbing Wall Instructor provider and an American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education provider (the first in the state of Montana). This level of academic achievement and classroom experience, technical know-how and field mastery, combined with his ethical commitment, aligns completely with our LTCC values.”

About Dr. Clinton Culp, Faculty, LTCC Wilderness Education and Outdoor Leadership

Clinton Culp enlisted as a Private in the United States Marine Corps shortly after his high school graduation in Texas. After 23 years, he retired a Major from the Marine Corps, having served seven overseas deployments, including in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Somalia, two trips to Afghanistan, and Iraq. Clinton spent more than three years at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center at Bridgeport, CA, much of which was as the Officer in Charge of the Mountain Leaders Course. While there he participated in and/or led mountaineering expedition and training missions to Alaska, the North Cascades, Norway, Germany, and the High Sierra. Clinton fell in love with the High Sierra and explored them whenever possible.

After retiring from the military and while pursuing his doctorate, he was an adjunct instructor in Movement Sciences (Outdoor Leadership, Sport Ethics, and Sport Sociology), Philosophy (Logic), Natural Resources (Moral Reasoning) and the Program Manager for the Center for Ethics at the University of Idaho. After the University of Idaho, he was a Clinical Assistant Professor at Washington State University in the Sport Management Department.

In 2013, Dr. Culp married his wife Lisa in Idaho and in 2014 they moved to Billings, Montana, where he accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Outdoor Adventure Leadership at Montana State University-Billings. While there, Dr. Culp also taught Ethics and Lifestyle Management as an adjunct faculty member at two community colleges dedicated to serving diverse rural, Native American and international students through Miles Community College and Yellowstone Christian College Billings.
An active member of The Marine Corps Association, the American Mountain Guides Association, the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, the American Alpine Club, the Wilderness Education Association, the Association of Experiential Education, the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE), and the Wilderness Risk Management Conference (WRMC), Dr. Culp has presented research and workshops at AORE and WRMC.

Dr. Culp is a certified AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, Climbing Wall Instructor, Climbing Wall Instructor Provider, and Apprentice Alpine Guide. He is also a Rescue 3 International Swift Water Rescue Technician and Leave No Trace Trainer. In addition to being on the team writing the new curriculum for AIARE, he is an AIARE Course Leader and able to teach Levels 1, 2 and Avalanche Rescue.

In addition, his work has been published in the Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education and Leadership, the Athletic Training Education Journal, the Marine Corps Gazette, and he contributed a chapter in the book, “Aspects of Leadership: Ethics, Law and Spirituality.”

His wife, Lisa, is also a community college adjunct faculty member; she teaches Speech, Communications, and Early Childhood Education. Clinton has two daughters, Leah and Zoe, and Lisa has two sons, Peter and David.

Lake Tahoe Community College is the sole college in the Lake Tahoe Community College District (LTCCD), one of 72 community college districts within the California Community College system, the largest educational system in the world, which encompasses 114 community colleges. LTCC is a comprehensive community college that has provided its community and students with quality and affordable vocational certificates, associate degrees, and preparation for transfer to a four-year college or university for more than 44 years. Our website is LTCC.edu.