The developers and instructors of the Great Smokies Experience have between them decades of experience teaching both secondary and post-secondary students about the environment. We hail from different educational backgrounds, and we believe that this diversity of expertise is a major strength of this program. The fact that this class is also managed by a unique partnership of three distinct institutions–Maryville College, the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, and Mountain Challenge–provides our students with a one-of-a-kind experience to get the most out of this program.
Dr. Andrew Gunnoe, PH.D. – Associate Professor of Sociology at MC
Andrew Gunnoe joined the faculty at Maryville College in 2015. He received his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2012. Upon completion of his graduate work he spent two years in a Postdoctorate fellowship in the Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology at Auburn University. His teaching and research interest include political economy, environmental sociology, and social theory.
DR. Mark O’Gorman, PH.D. – Coordinator of the Environmental Studies at MC
Mark is an Professor of political science at Maryville College. He is deeply committed to environmental education and teaches a variety of classes on national, state and local environmental policy. He holds a B.A. from Lawrence University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Syracuse University.
Tyson Murphy – Director of Mountain Challenge
Tyson graduated from Maryville College in 2003 double majoring in Outdoor Recreation and Environmental Studies. Then completed his Master’s Degree in Human Resource Development from the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business in 2007. He spent 17 years as Maryville College’s Head Cross Country Coach, adjunct faculty member and Program Manager of Mountain Challenge before becoming Director Mtn. Challenge in June of 2023. Tyson also serves as a member of the Maryville College Woods Advising Committee.
Jeremy Lloyd – Manager of Field and College Programs, Tremont
Jeremy is an educator, writer, and musician who began teaching at Tremont in 1996. His current job title is his fifth since starting out as a Teacher/Naturalist. He directed Tremont’s summer camp and internship programs and today oversees field programs including hiking weeks, photography workshops, and the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program, as well as college and university programs. He also co-directs the Tremont Writers Conference. A native of Western Pennsylvania, he received his B.A. from Calvin University and M.F.A. from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.