Professor Jerald Mast primarily teaches and researches in the field of public policy, particularly the ways in which public values, opinions and participation affect the democratic character of decisions within the lawmaking process. He focuses on American government, specializing in the public laws and policies dealing with the environment and natural resources. His most recent publications include the chapter "International Environmental Politics" for Twenty-first Century Political Science: A Reference Handbook (2010) and the chapter "Balancing management needs for conserving biodiversity in Grand Canyon National Park" with Joy Nystrom Mast for National Parks: Biodiversity, Conservation and Tourism (2010).
Prof. Mast has also conducted research on invasive species policies on the Great Lakes and on economic valuation methods for environmental aesthetics. He is a frequent analyst of state and national politics for Wisconsin Public Radio. He taught political science and political geography at Northern Arizona University before joining the Carthage faculty in 2002. Prof. Mast earned his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Ph.D. with distinction from Northern Arizona University.