Deb Stiver is a Lecturer Emerita in the Department of Economics at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she served for 34 years as a lecturer, statistics curriculum coordinator, and student advisor in the College of Business before retiring in 2019. Throughout her academic career, she was deeply committed to mentoring students, developing innovative curriculum, and collaborating on multidisciplinary research projects.

Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, Deb developed a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors during childhood fishing trips across northern Minnesota with her family, guided by her father, a veterinarian. She later moved west to Montana to study wildlife biology, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1974. After graduation, she relocated to Nevada, where she eventually pursued graduate studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. While working with a faculty mentor in the Department of Economics, she became a teaching assistant and conducted research on the economic valuation of non-market activities, including hunting, fishing, camping, and other outdoor recreation. She earned her MBA from UNR in 1989 and remained with the department for the remainder of her career.

In retirement, Deb continues to devote significant time to community service and nonprofit leadership across Northern Nevada. She serves as Treasurer and Senior Board Member of International Development Missions (IDM), sits on the Executive Board of the Nevada Chapter of the American Statistical Association, and volunteers with local programs addressing food insecurity through essential nutrient support initiatives.

Deb joined International Development Missions in 2001, when the organization was a newly formed nonprofit focused on supporting rural communities in developing regions. IDM operates on the principle of long-term partnership and sustainability, with most of its international work centered in Kenya. Through IDM, projects have included the construction of a community medical clinic (now self-sustaining), malaria mitigation efforts, mobile health clinics, multiple clean water initiatives, and educational support for primary and secondary schools.

She also administers the IDM Endowment in Public Health at the University of Nevada, Reno, which provides scholarships for students pursuing careers in global health research and practice. In addition, Deb helped support and mentor the Student Association for International Water Issues (SAIWI), sponsoring mission trips that allowed students to apply engineering and environmental science knowledge in the field by building wells, water catchment systems, and other infrastructure projects in rural East Africa.

Deb’s connection with KACF (Katie Adamson Conservation Fund) began through her daughter, a wildlife biologist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the Adamson family. After hearing about KACF’s conservation-focused initiatives for several years, Deb joined the December 2024 KACF conservation trip to Costa Rica, an experience that inspired a growing partnership between IDM and KACF. IDM looks forward to highlighting this collaboration at the revival of its African Dinner fundraising event in February 2026.

Deb is passionate about opportunities that bring together community sustainability, environmental stewardship, and wildlife conservation. She remains eager to collaborate on projects that help protect wildlife while supporting the communities that share their landscapes.

When not volunteering or traveling, Deb enjoys visiting her two daughters, sons-in-law, and three grandsons in Colorado. She also loves exploring new cultures and sharing what she learns through gatherings with friends and family—often expressed through meals inspired by the places she visits. And her lifelong love of fishing, first learned on Minnesota lakes as a child, remains close to her heart.