Peter H. Raven
Encyclopedia
Peter Hamilton Raven is a botanist and environmentalist
, notable as the longtime director, now President Emeritus, of the Missouri Botanical Garden
.
After becoming a member of the California Academy of Sciences
while still a youth, Raven went on to graduate with a BS from the University of California, Berkeley
in 1957 and a Ph.D. in botany from the University of California, Los Angeles
in 1960.
, Raven went on to become Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden in 1971, a position he continues to hold. Raven now teaches at Washington University in St. Louis
as the Engelmann Professor of Botany. In 2006, his position was renamed President and Director. Raven recently announced his plans to retire in 2011, to coincide with his 75th birthday and his 40th year at the Garden.
Raven is possibly best known for his important work Coevolution of Insects and Plants published in the journal Evolution in 1964 which he coauthored with Paul R. Ehrlich
. Since then he has authored numerous scientific and popular papers, many on the evening primrose family, Onagraceae
. Raven is also an author of the widely used textbook Biology of Plants, now in its seventh edition, coauthored with Ray F. Evert and Susan E. Eichhorn (both of University of Wisconsin, Madison).
He is a frequent speaker on the need for biodiversity and species conservation.
Raven is currently writing his memoirs, assisted by Andrew Szanton.
The American Society of Plant Taxonomists
established in 2000 the Peter Raven Award in his honor to be conferred to authors with outstanding contributions to plant taxonomy
and "for exceptional efforts at outreach to non-scientists".
He serves on the advisory council of CRDF Global. He also served on the board of trustees for Science Service, now known as Society for Science & the Public
, from 1993-1996.
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
, notable as the longtime director, now President Emeritus, of the Missouri Botanical Garden
Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also known informally as Shaw's Garden for founder Henry Shaw, a botanist and philanthropist.-History:...
.
Early life
On June 13, 1936, Raven was born in Shanghai, China to American parents. An uncle of his father's was, for a time, one of the wealthiest Americans in China, but was later jailed in a banking scandal. That incident and Japanese aggression in China led the Raven family to return to San Francisco, CA in the late 1930s.After becoming a member of the California Academy of Sciences
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. The academy began in 1853 as a learned society and still carries out a large amount of original research, with exhibits and education becoming significant endeavors of the museum during the twentieth...
while still a youth, Raven went on to graduate with a BS from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1957 and a Ph.D. in botany from the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
in 1960.
Career
After teaching at Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, Raven went on to become Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden in 1971, a position he continues to hold. Raven now teaches at Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
as the Engelmann Professor of Botany. In 2006, his position was renamed President and Director. Raven recently announced his plans to retire in 2011, to coincide with his 75th birthday and his 40th year at the Garden.
Raven is possibly best known for his important work Coevolution of Insects and Plants published in the journal Evolution in 1964 which he coauthored with Paul R. Ehrlich
Paul R. Ehrlich
Paul Ralph Ehrlich is an American biologist and educator who is the Bing Professor of Population Studies in the department of Biological Sciences at Stanford University and president of Stanford's Center for Conservation Biology. By training he is an entomologist specializing in Lepidoptera , but...
. Since then he has authored numerous scientific and popular papers, many on the evening primrose family, Onagraceae
Onagraceae
Onagraceae, also known as the Willowherb family or Evening Primrose family, are a family of flowering plants. The family includes about 640-650 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees in 20-24 genera...
. Raven is also an author of the widely used textbook Biology of Plants, now in its seventh edition, coauthored with Ray F. Evert and Susan E. Eichhorn (both of University of Wisconsin, Madison).
He is a frequent speaker on the need for biodiversity and species conservation.
Raven is currently writing his memoirs, assisted by Andrew Szanton.
The American Society of Plant Taxonomists
American Society of Plant Taxonomists
The American Society of Plant Taxonomists is a botanical organization formed in 1935 to "foster, encourage, and promote education and research in the field of plant taxonomy, to include those areas and fields of study that contribute to and bear upon taxonomy and herbaria", according to its bylaws...
established in 2000 the Peter Raven Award in his honor to be conferred to authors with outstanding contributions to plant taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
and "for exceptional efforts at outreach to non-scientists".
He serves on the advisory council of CRDF Global. He also served on the board of trustees for Science Service, now known as Society for Science & the Public
Society for Science & the Public
Society for Science & the Public , formerly known as Science Service, is a 5013 non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of science, through its science education programs and publications, including the weekly Science News magazine.Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the organization...
, from 1993-1996.
Awards and honors
- Arthur Hoyt Scott Medal 2009, awarded by the Scott ArboretumScott ArboretumScott Arboretum is an arboretum located across the campus of Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. It is open to the public daily without charge....
of Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore CollegeSwarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia.... - U.S. National Medal of ScienceNational Medal of ScienceThe National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
recipient, 2000 - Honorary Member of the American Society of Landscape Architects
- Tyler Prize for Environmental AchievementTyler Prize for Environmental AchievementThe Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement is an award for environmental science, environmental health and energy. Tyler Laureates receive a $200,000 annual prize and a gold medallion...
- Catharine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, 1985
- Member of President Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology - Former Home Secretary of the U.S. National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
- International Prize for Biology winner
- Former President of Sigma XiSigma XiSigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society is a non-profit honor society which was founded in 1886 at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a handful of graduate students. Members elect others on the basis of their research achievements or potential...
- EnglerAdolf EnglerHeinrich Gustav Adolf Engler was a German botanist. He is notable for his work on plant taxonomy and phytogeography, like Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien , edited with Karl A. E...
Medal winner - Volvo Prize winner
- Induction into the St. Louis Walk of FameSt. Louis Walk of FameThe St. Louis Walk of Fame honors well-known people from St. Louis, Missouri, who made contributions to culture of the United States. All inductees were either born in the Greater St. Louis area or spent their formative or creative years there...
in 1995 - Former President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
- International Cosmos PrizeInternational Cosmos PrizeThe International Cosmos Prize was established in 1993, commemorating Expo 90 in Osaka, Japan.The objective of the prize is to develop the basic concept of Expo 90, "The Harmonious Coexistence between Nature and Mankind."...
, 2003 - Named a Hero for the Planet by TIME magazine
- Member of National Geographic SocietyNational Geographic SocietyThe National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
board of trustees - The Delmer S. Fahrney Medal in 1989
External links
- Sullivan, R. & J. Eaton. Peter Raven's botanical roots come from S.F. San Francisco Chronicle August 20, 2008.
- International Cosmos PrizeInternational Cosmos PrizeThe International Cosmos Prize was established in 1993, commemorating Expo 90 in Osaka, Japan.The objective of the prize is to develop the basic concept of Expo 90, "The Harmonious Coexistence between Nature and Mankind."...
http://www.expo-cosmos.or.jp/jusyou/2003_e.html