The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) is hosting a panel discussion to consider how the biological collections community can most effectively contribute to protecting biodiversity.
Please join the SPNHC Biodiversity Crisis Response Committee and a panel of five experts on October 7, 2020 from 11:00 – 1:00 PM EDT.
Panelist Biographies
Dr. Tara Cornelisse is an insect conservation biologist and Senior Scientist with the Endangered Species Program at the Center for Biological Diversity. After receiving her PhD at the University of California Santa Cruz, she completed a postdoc in conservation education at the American Museum of Natural History and then taught as an assistant professor in animal behavior, ecology, and conservation at Canisius College.
Dr. Robert Gropp is Director of Public Policy at the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Dr. Gropp earned his doctorate in plant ecology from the University of Oklahoma and his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Before joining AIBS in 2003, he was a Presidential Management Intern and a Congressional Science Fellow.
Dr. Rebecca Johnson is the Chief Scientist and Associate Director for Science at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Dr. Johnson is a wildlife forensic scientist and conservation geneticist who is passionate about reducing the illegal wildlife trade and promoting the importance of STEM, particularly women in STEM, in early and lifelong education.
Dr. Jeremy Kerr holds the University Research Chair in Macroecology and Conservation and is Full Professor and Chair of Biology at University of Ottawa where his research seeks to discover how environmental change affects biodiversity. Dr. Kerr engages in science outreach and is active at the science-policy interface. In those areas and in his research, he works to create policies on equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Henry McGhie has a background as an ecologist and worked in museums for nearly 20 years, before setting up Curating Tomorrow, a consultancy that aims to help museums and their partners connect with sustainable development goals, climate action, and nature conservation. He is a member of the International Council of Museum’s Sustainability Working Group, International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Commission on Education and Communication, and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Education, Communication, and Outreach Stakeholders Community.
Hope to see you then!
SPNHC Biodiversity Crisis Response Committee
Libby Ellwood (Committee Chair), La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
Andy Bentley, University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Museum
Jutta Buschbom, Statistical Genetics
Talia Karim, University of Colorado Museum of Natural History
Austin Mast, Florida State University
Gil Nelson, Integrated Digitized Biocollections
Erica Wheeler, Royal British Columbia Museum