Loren H. Rieseberg – Professor and Canada Research Chair, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia (2006-); Distinguished Professor, Department of Biology, Indiana University (2004-), Associate Chair (2000-04), Class of ‘54 Professor (1997-04), Director of Plant Sciences Graduate Program (1996-00), Associate Professor (1993-97); Research Scientist & Assistant Professor, Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden & Claremont Graduate School (1987-93); PhD, Washington State University (1987); MSc, University of Tennessee (1984); BA, Southern Adventist University (1981).

Research Interests – My lab studies the origin and evolution of new species, domesticated plants, and weeds, focusing on the Asteraceae, especially wild and domesticated sunflowers (Helianthus).

Teaching Interests – I currently teach an undergraduate course on Evolutionary Processes in Plants, and a graduate course on Speciation. In the past, I have taught Molecular Systematics, Conservation Genetics, Evolution and Diversity, and Ethnobotany. Undergraduates frequently contribute to research projects in my lab and are co-authors of 34 papers.

Undergraduate, Graduate, & Postdoctoral Training – Supervisor or co-supervisor of 20 undergraduate honors students, 6 MSc students (2 ongoing), 31 PhD students (5 ongoing), and 71 postdocs (11 ongoing).

Honors – Darwin-Wallace Medal (2012); Elected Fellow, Royal Society (2010), Royal Society of Canada (2010), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2004), and American Association for the Advancement of Science (2003); Stebbins Medal (2004); Guggenheim Fellowship (2004); McArthur Fellowship (2003-08); David Starr Jordan Prize (1998); Teaching Excellence Recognition Awards (1997, 1999).

BSA Service – Genetics Section Research Agenda (1992), Associate Editor and Member of Editorial Board, American Journal of Botany (1997-06), Local Representative, Botanical Society of America annual meeting, Vancouver (2008).

Editorial Service – Chief Editor, Molecular Ecology (1999-); Founding Editor, Molecular Ecology Notes (2001); Editorial Board, Aliso (1992-94), Evolutionary Trends in Plants (1995-99), International Journal of Plant Science (1998-12), Plant Systematics and Evolution (1999), New Phytologist (2001-03), BMC Genetics 2001-), Conservation Genetics (2002-), Evolutionary Applications (2008-), Annual Review of Plant Biology (2014-).

Other Relevant Service – NSF Systematic Biology Panel (1991-93); Council Member (2002-04) & President (2006), American Genetics Association; CHIR Genomics Review Panel (2008-10); iPlant Board Member (2009-11); Member-at-Large, Biological Sciences Section, AAAS (2010-14), External Reviewer of Departments of Plant Science & Zoology, U. Oxford (2011); Reviewer, Guggenheim Foundation (2011-15); Advisory Board, International Climate-Resilient Crop Genomics Consortium (2012-); Scientific advisor, Global Crop Diversity Trust (2013-), Chair, Canada Foundation for Innovation Panel (2014); Co-founder, DivSeek Initiative (2014-); Science advisor for kids’ TV show, Scout & The Gumboot Kids (2014-).

Chief Goals if Elected – My main goals would be to (1) increase the international reach of the journal and of the society; (2) expand linkages with botanical societies worldwide; (3) promote botanical (green) solutions to many of the grand challenges of the 21st century, such as food security, climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and ecosystem services; (4) encourage diversity across the botanical community at all levels, including awards, education, leadership, and service; and (5) reduce barriers to attendance of the annual BSA meeting by seeking funds to support student travel and to subsidize child care for botanists with young children.