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Sara Mast

Professor Emerita of Art
Sara Mast is a material-based, abstract painter and object maker whose work gives voice to the natural world around us.

   sara@saramast.com
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Kevin Tracy

MFA Graduate, School of Art
Kevin Tracy is an interdisciplinary artist working with local clay through performance and installation, treating the body as earth reorganized.

   kevintracy1@montana.edu
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Kristen Intemann

Professor of Philosophy and Director, Center for Science, Technology, Ethics & Society
Dr. Intemann studies the challenges of social acceptance of living materials, including ethical issues and disgust reactions that individuals have to biotechnologies.

   kristen.intemann@montana.edu
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Ben Fuhrman

Assistant Professor of Music Technology
Dr. Fuhrman is a composer and music technologist who composes works inspired by and modeling a variety of sources: the motion of bacteria, particle physics, acoustic phenomena, as well as whale and bird songs, and hiking through the mountains.

   benjamin.fuhrman@montana.edu
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Robin Gerlach

Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology
Dr. Gerlach studies biofilms, bacteria, algae and fungi in the context of beneficial biotechnologies including bioremediation, water treatment technologies, energy applications (e.g., algal biofuel and geothermal energy production), biocement production, living materials, and medicine (e.g., kidney stones).

   robin_g@montana.edu
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Hossein Khadivar

PhD Candidate, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Center for Biofilm Engineering
Hossein Khadivar studies microbial consortia, including cyanobacteria, fungi, and algae, to develop Engineered Living Materials (ELMs). His research focuses on designing microbial systems that drive biomineralization and enable sustainable materials and biomanufacturing applications.

   hosseinkhadivar@montana.edu
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Isaak Thornton

Postdoctoral Researcher, Center for Biofilm Engineering
Dr. Thornton develops methods for incorporating microbes into materials using 3D bioprinting, creating living systems with built‑in functions. His work aims to engineer new materials that are both useful and environmentally responsible.

   isaakthornton@montana.edu
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Ethan Viles

Ph.D. Candidate, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Mechanical and Industral Engineering
Ethan Viles studies living building materials made of fungi and bacteria. He focuses on keeping these materials alive and increasing their strength.

   ethan.viles@montana.edu
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Matthew Yaeger

Research Assistant
Matthew studies interactions between algae and heterotrophs for the production of various sustainable bioproducts.

   matthew.yaeger@montana.edu