Mark Lyford

Mark Lyford is a Lecturer in the Department of Botany at the University of Wyoming, affiliated with the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences, and Natural Resources. He holds a B.A. from Saint Olaf College (1993), an M.S. (1995), and a Ph.D. (2001) from the University of Wyoming. His research focuses on science education, specifically pedagogical practices, assessment strategies, and curricular approaches to scientific literacy. Current projects explore 'desirable difficulties' in teaching and institutional models for fostering scientific literacy.

Lyford’s work bridges ecological research and education, with publications spanning plant migration dynamics, paleoecology, and evolutionary education. His ecological studies utilize woodrat middens and pollen records to reconstruct historical vegetation and climate patterns, while his education research addresses cognitive models and textbook impacts on student learning. Though no specific awards are listed, his contributions span interdisciplinary applications of ecological data to education frameworks.

He teaches introductory courses like Discovering Biology and Current Issues in Biology. No grants or advising roles are explicitly detailed in the provided materials.