Current Position
Director, State Botanical Garden of Georgia, University of Georgia Adjunct Faculty, Plant Biology and Life Sciences, University of Georgia

Research Interests
Plant conservation and evolution; Evolutionary impacts of human activities on plant populations

BSA Service
BSA member: Southeastern Section (member)

Other Service
Organizer and Steering Committee member of Southeastern Partners in Plant Conservation, 2015-2020
American Public Garden Association, member
Center for Plant Conservation, member
Georgia Museum of Natural History Board member
Cherokee Garden Library Board member
National Science Foundation panel member
Organizer for the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Science Café, 2010-2016
Steering Committee, Atlanta Science Festival 2013-2026

Statement of Interest
I would be honored to serve BSA as Director at Large for Development. BSA fills an essential need for basic botanical research and communicating science to its community and to people outside the BSA community with interests in education, citizen science, horticulture and the environment. In my current role I am responsible for connecting multiple stakeholders with the multifaceted value of plants and plant science in addressing challenges in society today. I also work with garden leaders to create opportunities for training students and the next generation of environmental ambassadors.

The members of BSA are addressing grand challenges of our time in so many ways. It would be an honor to work with the leadership at BSA to help achieve funding for strategic goals and priorities. In this role I would seek opportunities to engage and connect a variety of sources in ways that would support BSA as a leading international organization for botanical research and student training. I also welcome the opportunity to serve BSA and to connect resources to the organization that would help it to expand support for communicating science, graduate student research and scientists early in their career.