Chris Klyza

Christopher McGrory Klyza is the inaugural holder of the Robert ’35 and Helen ’38 Stafford Chair in Public Policy (awarded in 2003) and Professor of Political Science and Environmental Studies at Middlebury College. He has taught courses there on U.S. conservation and environmental policy and American politics since 1990 and has served as the director of the Environmental Studies Program for 10 years. He is the author or editor of five books on conservation and environmental policy, including three focused on the Northeast: The Future of the Northern Forest (co-editor, 1994), The Story of Vermont: A Natural and Cultural History (co-author, 1999 and 2015), and Wilderness Comes Home: Rewilding the Northeast (editor, 2001). His next book, Building the Green State: The States, the Federal Government, and Intercurrence, 1800-2000, will be published by MIT Press in 2026. Chris is also engaged in local conservation work. He currently serves on the board of directors of Vermont Family Forests and was a long-time board member of the Watershed Center.