Robert Manning enjoyed a forty-year career as a professor in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont where he advanced to an appointment as the Steven Rubenstein Professor (a prestigious endowed professorship). He taught courses on the history, philosophy, and management of national parks, and conducted a longterm program of research for the U.S. National Park Service. Robert has written extensively about this work, publishing a dozen scholarly books and more than 100 papers in academic and professional journals. He earned the highest awards at the University of Vermont in both teaching and research, along with a number of national awards, and spent four year-long sabbatical leaves working with the National Park Service at selected national parks. His book, A Thinking Person's Guide to America's National Parks, was published in 2016 to help celebrate the Centennial of the National Park Service; the book was aimed at both popular and professional audiences and was highly reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.