UCSB Distinguished Professor Frank W. Davis Joins Board of Trustees at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Santa Barbara, Calif. – October 31, 2022 – Frank W. Davis, Ph.D., distinguished professor in the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), has become a member of the Board of Trustees for Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. He joins the 16-member Board comprised of Valerie Hoffman, chair; John Gabbert, vice chair; Kathy Scroggs, secretary; Mark Funk, Treasurer; and board members Jeremy Bassan, Sarah Berkus Gower, Sharon Bradford, Samantha Davis, George Leis, Bibi Moezzi, William Murdoch, Helene Schneider, Warren Schultheis, and Ann Steinmetz.

“My family and I have enjoyed the Garden for many years, and my research has often benefited from the expertise of Garden scientists,” said Davis. “Joining the Board is my opportunity to give back to this outstanding institution and deepen my interactions with the wonderful community of Garden supporters and staff.”

“Frank has been an invaluable member of the Garden’s Conservation Advisory Committee,” said Garden Chair Valerie Hoffman. “His research and interests directly align with our mission, as they relate to the ecology and conservation of California native species and ecosystems, particularly fire management in oak woodlands and the effects of climate change on our state’s forests and rangelands.”

Distinguished Professor in the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management Frank Davis currently teaches Landscape Ecology and Environmental Planning. He also directs the La Kretz Research Center at UCSB’s Sedgwick Reserve, and is Executive Director of the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network Office, which serves as a hub for 28 sites funded by the National Science Foundation to investigate ecosystem processes over decadal time scales.

He founded and for 26 years led the UCSB Biogeography Lab, and also served as Deputy Director and then Director of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), a UCSB-led research center located in downtown Santa Barbara.

Since 2004, he has served on the Board of Trustees for the California chapter of the Nature Conservancy, and currently is chair of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology. Previously, he served on the Board of Directors for the Tejon Ranch Conservancy for nine years, and on the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Board of Trustees for six years, and on other boards and committees for public agencies and non-governmental organizations

Davis received his Ph.D. in Geography and Environmental Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University and his Bachelor’s in Biology from Williams College. He is an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America.