Ann Fowler Rhoads | |
---|---|
Born | 1938 (age 85–86) |
Citizenship | American |
Alma mater | Rutgers University |
Known for | Pennsylvania plant communities |
Awards | Henry Meigs Environmental Leadership Award, Hamilton Award |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Botanist |
Institutions | Morris Arboretum, University of Pennsylvania |
Ann Fowler Rhoads (born 1938[1]) is an American botanist who worked as a plant pathologist at Morris Arboretum for 36 years, retiring in 2013.[2][3] She is the co-founder (with Timothy A. Block) of the Pennsylvania Flora Project of Morris Arboretum.[4] In addition, Rhoads is a former adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania[5] and a former Research Associate at the Academy of Natural Sciences.[6]
Rhoads has written and edited 6 books. Her most important work is The Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual,[7] which she coauthored with Timothy Block. It has been called the "Bible of our state's plant life".[8] It is particularly significant “because most states simply don’t have such a comprehensive work on regional flora. Relevant to plant life found in much of the Northeast, the book has also been requested in neighboring states."[2] A second edition was published in 2007.[7]
In 2014, the Chestnut Hill Local said of Ann Rhoads: “Through tireless documentation, a specimen collection of 14,000 plants, and sharing her discoveries and expertise in books and articles, she has significantly advanced our understanding of Pennsylvania plant communities.”[2] Ari Novy, former Executive Director of the U.S. Botanic Garden, called her “a giant in the world of plants who has championed plant education in the Mid-Atlantic."[9] She has also been referred to as a “legend among the region's ecological scientists.”[8]
In 2016, Rhoads became the inaugural recipient of the Hamilton Award[10] from Rutgers Gardens.[3][11] This award is named for former director Bruce Hamilton, and recognizes “an unsung hero, a quiet leader, or patient mentor in the field of horticulture".[3][10]
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