Tim Weinmann grabbed hold of a mudskipper on an ecology class field trip at community college in Seattle, and said, “Hey I can do this!” He was hooked and found his niche studying ecosystem science and sustainability and watershed science at CSU.
Weinmann keeps busy as an outstanding student, a project manager, a scientist, a volunteer naturalist, a father of two, and now a graduate of the Warner College of Natural Resources.
Fort Collins-born and -raised, he spent ample time outdoors growing up including hikes at Lory State Park and EcoWeek in 6th grade at the CSU Mountain Campus. “I always thought the ‘outdoorsy college kids’ were the coolest people,” he said. “I guess I still think that after being here for school.”
After graduating from Fort Collins High School, Weinmann relocated to Austin, Texas where he met his future wife, Jordan, and the two moved to Seattle, where he received an associate’s degree.
During that time, he worked on a sustainable farm, and started to understand the nitrogen cycle. “It was interesting how all the chemistry we can’t see at all translates to life around us we can see, it’s fascinating to me.”
Nitrogen Footprint
He has managed CSU’s Nitrogen Footprint project, an initiative of the School of Global Environmental Sustainability’s Student Sustainability Center. A recently published baseline study of CSU’s nitrogen outputs will help refine recommendations for reducing nitrogen emissions on campus.
Weinmann provided many of the calculations on the paper along with putting CSU’s efforts into global context, according to Senior Research Scientist Jill Baron.
“It’s been an honor to work with him,” said Baron. “If we’ve had an impact on Tim Weinmann while he has been here, he has most certainly had an impact on us.”
Following graduation Weinmann will continue working with Baron on her long-term study of nitrogen in Loch Vale at Rocky Mountain National Park before starting in the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology at CSU. He will continue studying with Baron and Natural Resource Ecology Lab researcher Claudia Boot.
“Tim exudes a thoughtful honesty, and seems to bring that same quality to each interaction he has,” said Boot. “I’ve seen this demonstrated in my relationship with him as a mentor, in the way he communicates with his peers, as well as his interactions with his children.”
