DANBURY, CONN. — University of Connecticut biologist Dr. Gregory J. Anderson, a leading authority in the fields of economic botany and plant species conservation, will discuss “The 12 Plants that Stand Between Humans and Starvation” in his lecture on Thursday, Oct. 28, at Western Connecticut State University.

Anderson, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at UConn, will explore the small number of domesticated crop species on which human societies have come to depend for their primary food sources. His talk, presented as part of the WCSU “Science at Night” lecture series, will provide an overview of the origins of these key crop plants, the nutritional needs that they meet, and the outlook for achieving crop improvements and strengthening human food security.

The lecture will be at 7 p.m. in Room 125 of the Science Building on the university’s Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. A reception with light refreshments will be held in the Science Building Atrium following the lecture. Admission will be free and the public is invited to attend.

Anderson has done extensive research on the origin and evolution of domesticated plants, and the relationships between the development of human societies and the plant resources on which they depend. Research on present plant consumption shows that, while a great number and diversity of plants are consumed around the world, contemporary societies have become dependent on fewer than 20 crops as their predominant sources of food and nutrition.

Anderson has published more than 100 papers in scientific books and journals on a broad range of research topics, from plant pollination and reproductive biology to the ecology and conservation of island plant species. His research specializations include the biodiversity and domestication of the nightshade family of plants, which encompasses food resources such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and peppers as well as non-food plants such as tobacco, mandrake, petunias and belladonna. His field research has taken him on more than 30 trips abroad over the past four decades to study plants native to Central and South America, the Caribbean region, Spain and the Canary Islands, South Africa and Australia. Three herbaceous shrub species discovered in Latin America have been named for Anderson to recognize his pioneering work in the field.

Anderson earned UConn’s most prestigious faculty recognition as a 2009 recipient of the Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor award. Previous honors include his selection to receive the UConn Distinguished Alumni Professor award in 1997, the American Institute of Biological Sciences’ Distinguished Service Award in 2002, and the Botanical Society of America’s Centennial Award in 2006.

Recipient of a Ph.D. from Indiana University, Anderson joined UConn in 1973 and remained a member of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology until his retirement in 2009, including 15 years as department head. From 2005 to 2008, he served as dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for research and graduate education at UConn. In 2008 he accepted a one-year appointment as dean in residence at the Council of Graduate Schools and the National Science Foundation in Washington. He currently is a research associate at the National Museum of Natural History, part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

He holds memberships in many national and international scientific organizations, and has served previously as president of the American Institute of Biological Sciences, the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, and the Botanical Society of America. He received appointment in 2007 to chair a state legislative task force formed to study fuel diversification.

For more information, contact WCSU Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences Dr. Thomas Philbrick at philbrickt@wcsu.edu or (203) 837-8773.

 

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics
of New England’s best small private universities.