Chicago Botanic Garden

for immediate release

Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University
Create Doctorate Program in Plant Biology and Conservation

Local response to global plant conservation issues

 

Media Only:
Gloria Ciaccio, Chicago Botanic Garden
(847) 835-6819, direct
gciaccio@chicagobotanic.org

Megan Fellman, Northwestern University
(847) 491-3115, direct
fellman@northwestern.edu

 

GLENCOE, Ill. (Sept. 10, 2008) — The Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University announced a one-of-a-kind doctorate program in plant biology and conservation, in response to the urgent need to train scientists who will embark on a far-reaching course to address pressing conservation issues.

“We are in a global extinction crisis. Biodiversity is facing more threats than it ever has,” said Dr. Kayri Havens, director of plant science and conservation at the Chicago Botanic Garden. “There is great need for a graduate program that will bring more scientists into the field of studying plant diversity, since this is the foundation of all ecosystems,” she said.

According to the World Conservation Union, 30 percent of the world’s plants are threatened with extinction by 2050. Students will have the opportunity to gain experience, skills, and knowledge to become scholars, leaders and practitioners, in the effort to stem the loss of plant life worldwide.

“This is an effort to find global solutions. With the creation of the doctorate program, the Garden will be a national home to far-reaching education and research programs, able to train professionals in a variety of plant science disciplines, which are critical to the Garden’s mission to save the plants and save the planet,” said Sophia Siskel, president and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The program begins in fall 2009 and will be housed in the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Ground was broken on the Rice Science Center in June of 2008. When completed in the fall of 2009, the 38,000-square-foot Rice Science Center will serve as an international center for plant conservation research providing a world-class teaching and state-of-the-art laboratory facility designed specifically to meet the needs of students and teachers.

In 2005, the Garden partnered with Northwestern University to create a Master’s degree program in plant biology and conservation. Since the program’s inception, twenty-one students have enrolled; five have graduated and are currently pursuing careers in the fields of plant conservation or are attending doctorate programs.

“The resources of Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden complement one another to create a learning environment that could not be duplicated by either one alone,” said Northwestern University Provost Daniel Linzer.

The doctorate program will provide a foundation in plant ecology, evolution and biology and in applied plant conservation theory and methods. The program offers advanced courses taught by distinguished faculty members and scientists from the Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University. The program includes over 15 teaching and research faculty from Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern in fields such as ecology, population genetics, restoration ecology, invasive plant biology, pollination biology, plant evolution, taxonomy, paleontology and climate change. The doctorate program will offer a comprehensive scholastic program that contributes to the field of plant biology. Students typically should complete the degree in five years.

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Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the green treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year, except Dec. 25. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $15; free for members. On Tuesdays, senior citizens age 62 and older pay just $7 for parking. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. The Garden is also breaking new ground in urban horticulture and jobs training through a 15-acre project in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago called Windy City Harvest. The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.