Stephen J. Pyne
Encyclopedia
Stephen J. Pyne is a professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University
, specializing in environmental history, the history of exploration
, and the history of fire
.
after graduating from Brophy College Preparatory
, a Jesuit high school, in Phoenix, Arizona. He later attained his master's and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Texas at Austin
. A MacArthur Fellowship came to him in 1988. He has also received a Fulbright Fellowship to Sweden, been awarded two National Endowment for the Humanities
Fellowships, and has enjoyed two tours at the National Humanities Center
.
He spent fifteen seasons as a wildland firefighter
at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park
between 1967 and 1981. Pyne credits his entire corpus of work to those years on the Rim. Since the publication of his second book, Fire in America in 1982, he has been known as one of the world's foremost experts on the history and management of fire.
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, specializing in environmental history, the history of exploration
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
, and the history of fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
.
Education and academic activities
Pyne received his bachelor's degree at Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
after graduating from Brophy College Preparatory
Brophy College Preparatory
Brophy College Preparatory is a Jesuit high school located in Phoenix, Arizona. The school is currently limited to all-male enrollment of approximately 1,200 students. It is operated independently of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix...
, a Jesuit high school, in Phoenix, Arizona. He later attained his master's and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. A MacArthur Fellowship came to him in 1988. He has also received a Fulbright Fellowship to Sweden, been awarded two National Endowment for the Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
Fellowships, and has enjoyed two tours at the National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center
The National Humanities Center is an independent institute for advanced study in the humanities. It is the only major independent institute for advanced study in all fields of the humanities in the United States. The NHC operates as a privately incorporated nonprofit and is not part of any...
.
He spent fifteen seasons as a wildland firefighter
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. The park covers of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.Most...
between 1967 and 1981. Pyne credits his entire corpus of work to those years on the Rim. Since the publication of his second book, Fire in America in 1982, he has been known as one of the world's foremost experts on the history and management of fire.