Do you have a favorite memory of when you felt connected to nature?

In my experience, it takes very little to feel connected to nature and some of the most salient memories are also the most mundane. As I reflect on each city where I’ve lived, each brings to mind different memories. For many years, my main connection to nature was the daily bike commute along Lake Michigan where I witnessed its colors and patterns change across the seasons. In Los Angeles,

I enjoyed the puzzle of figuring out unfamiliar desert plants in neighbors’ yards. In Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History ran a bird-banding lab: watching a scientist gently hold a wild bird as it was safely banded for conservation research and released back to its epic migration was truly remarkable. And not to forget an early, recurring activity that activated all senses: landing in a pile of fallen leaves and being enveloped by the crunch, smell, and dappled light of the remains of the summer.

You enjoy botanical illustration. How does this inspire the way you experience plants and the natural world?

Visual art has long been a lens through which I experience, enjoy, and understand the natural world. In fact, I recently found a series of drawings I did in third grade of a crabapple in the schoolyard! Drawing helps me learn. As an undergraduate, by carefully observing plants and documenting their details, I was better able to identify and remember their characteristic traits. Early in my career at the Field Museum, I took advantage of scientific illustration and watercolor classes and had the opportunity to produce dozens of original illustrations for the exhibition Evolving Planet. These illustrations, together with work by many other artists, were essential in bringing the ancient world to life for our visitors. 

I am excited to revive my art practice by taking advantage of classes offered through the Regenstein School. I am already feeling inspired to get out my pencils: recently I sketched this tulip!

The Garden is always changing, season to season, even day to day. What appeals to you about leading a living museum?

There are many similarities between traditional natural history museums where I have spent most of my career and botanic gardens: we steward collections, conduct original scientific research, and engage visitors in the natural world. But in my short time as President and CEO, I am struck by the wonder that only a living museum can create. Every single day the Garden changes. I am in awe of the plants and the expertise of my new colleagues. The main campus is a horticultural destination, and I am excited to advance our visions for its next era. I am equally inspired by the less visible aspects of our work, which unfolds further afield: an urban agriculture program that is growing across Chicago, and scientists conduct groundbreaking research across the globe. The Garden is many things: display, action, ephemeral beauty, and future sustainability.