Since joining the Forest Service in 1992, he has specialized in the development and application of climatology to fire management problems and has authored several nationally available computer programs in the field. He has worked on wildland fire issues in Montana, Colorado, California, and Georgia since 1972. His operational fire experience includes firefighting, fire behavior analyst assignments, and prescribed fire lighting supervision. He has a B.S. degree in forest science from the University of Montana and an M.S. degree in bioclimatology from Colorado State University. She has been a member of the work unit since 1973 and was Project Leader from 1992 to 1996.
Recent work includes fire growth simulation and analysis of fire danger rating systems.
She has a B.A. degree in mathematics and chemistry from Montana State University at Billings, and an M.A. degree in mathematics and computer science from the University of Montana. Ted Putnam is an Equipment Specialist at the USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology and Development Center. He has been working at the Missoula Technology and Development Center since 1976. In 1977 he received a Ph.D. degree in experimental psychology with a major in learning and minor in mathematics from the University of Montana. He is now responsible for developing wildland firefighter protective clothing, and fire shelters, including training materials, and has been actively involved in wildland fire entrapment investigations since 1976.