About Me

Upon completion of my PhD degree in insect systematics from The Ohio State University in 1980, under the direction of Professor Charles A. Triplehorn, I joined the faculty of Cornell University where I was Professor for twenty-four years, serving terms as Chair of both the Department of Entomology and the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium.  Taking a leave of absence from Cornell, I became Director of the Division of Environmental Biology at the National Science Foundation.  Next, I accepted an appointment as Keeper and Head of Entomology in The Natural History Museum in London, England.  Returning to the U.S., I was named Virginia M. Ullman Professor of Natural History and the Environment, Senior Sustainability Scientist, Director of the International Institute for Species Exploration, Vice President, and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Arizona State University.  Most recently, I was President of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.  I created the annual Top 10 New Species list (soon to be relaunched) and have named more than one hundred species new to science.  I was a columnist for the Guardian newspaper in London for several years, reporting on recently discovered species in my feature "New to Nature."  I have published more than 170 scientific papers and seven books.  Currently, I am a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Distinguished Science Counselor to the Board of the New York Botanical Garden, and Research Associate of the American Museum of Natural History.  I continue to advocate for taxonomy, biodiversity exploration and conservation, and natural history collections through professional engagement, writing, podcasting, and lecturing.  My next book, Species, Science and Society, will present a bold vision for the future of taxonomy, species exploration and conservation, and biomimicry.