Ashleigh Pilkerton
Honors College
Visiting Assistant Professor
Ashleigh Pilkerton is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Honors College at the University of Wyoming. She holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Wyoming and dual B.S. degrees in Bioinformatics and Biology from Pacific University in Oregon. She completed her doctoral work through the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, focusing on the ecological effects and management implications of water quality disturbances such as sediment releases and harmful cyanobacteria blooms.
With more than 15 years of experience in both formal and informal education, Ashleigh is a passionate, student-centered educator whose interests bridge science, pedagogy, and community engagement. She thrives at the intersection of research and practice. She emphasizes transdisciplinary approaches that integrate science with real-world issues and fosters student exploration of new ideas and perspectives through place- and problem-based learning.
In the Honors College, Ashleigh coordinates the annual Experiential Learning Showcase and leads efforts to expand experiential learning across the curriculum. Dr. Pilkerton teaches Honors Colloquium I, Producing Knowledge: Capstone Seminar (HP-4250), and upper division electives that integrate science with real-world issues, including Water (HP-4153-02). Ashleigh is excited to join the Honors College and to work with students, faculty, and communities to expand experiential learning opportunities.
Research
Dr. Ashleigh Pilkerton is a broadly trained aquatic ecologist, with expertise in water quality and ecological effects and management implications of aquatic disturbance. Her scholarship spans both aquatic ecology and the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). She researches strategies to strengthen student engagement and persistence through experiential education, mentoring, and communities of belonging in both formal and informal learning environments. This work includes examining the role of near-peer mentorship in student retention and success and exploring innovative approaches to integrating experiential education in the college classroom.
Experiential Education Support
Interested in experiential education? Dr. Pilkerton can help brainstorm and workshop course content to increase experiential learning in the classroom.
