Peggy L. Fiedler

Peggy L. Fiedler, noted conservation biologist and authority in the ecology and management of rare plants, has been named the director of the University of California Natural Reserve System effective Jan. 1, 2010. Fiedler succeeds Alexander Glazer, who is returning to full-time research after 12 years of exemplary service as NRS director.

Fiedler's research on California species of Calochortus (Liliaceae) and her writings on the more theoretical aspects of conservation biology have earned her an international reputation as an expert in conservation biology. She has written two textbooks on the subject, held long-term editorial positions within two major professional conservation organizations, and has an extensive publication list of refereed journal articles, reports, and book chapters on conservation issues. She currently serves as a senior research associate with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England. In addition, Fiedler is a fellow of the California Academy of Sciences and a Fulbright senior scholar.

Fiedler earned her B.A. from Harvard University and her Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. She then joined the faculty at San Francisco State University, where she was promoted to full professor in 1997. While at SF State, she initiated the first conservation biology master's degree program of its kind in the United States.

In 2000, Fiedler left SF State in order to become more directly involved in hands-on conservation, working as an environmental consultant in rare plant protection and ecosystem restoration. In this capacity, she led or co-led multidisciplinary teams in the design, permitting and implementation of restoration projects with budgets up to $3 million.

The UC Natural Reserve System is the largest university-managed reserve system in the world. The 36 reserves that make up the system protect 135,000 acres of critical habitat for research, university-level courses and public education. Scientists working at the reserves are tackling some of the toughest environmental challenges of our time, from predicting the impact of global climate change on the California landscape, to protecting endangered species, to preserving our clean water supply.