Villanova University Opens Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship

VILLANOVA, PA – Global temperatures are increasing, storms intensifying, and rainfall patterns changing. Nutrient pollution is increasingly affecting land and water, sea levels are rising, and animal and plant species are being lost before they can even be named. As a result of these developments, research in the natural sciences is now more important and impactful than ever before. Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is launching the Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship (CBEST), to advance research that is focused on the biological principles, components, and ramifications of biodiversity and ecosystem science in a changing world.

Biodiversity science examines the variety of organisms that inhabit the earth, while ecosystem science examines the flow of energy and matter through organisms and their surrounding environments to understand the function of Earth’s ecosystems. CBEST is committed to studying and promoting biodiversity and ecosystem science from biological, evolutionary, and ecological perspectives. The Center is equally committed to educating and developing undergraduate and graduate students—training them as young scientists who will share their knowledge with universities and the community at large.

CBEST will capitalize on the research strengths of its core faculty, particularly in the areas of biodiversity and ecosystem science. Six Villanova professors who are distinguished leaders in their fields have come together to create the new Center. They are Biology professors Samantha Chapman, PhD; Aaron Bauer, PhD; Todd Jackman, PhD; R. Kelman Wieder, PhD; and Adam Langley, PhD and associate professor and chair of Geography and the Environment Nathaniel Weston, PhD.

CBEST is in step with Villanova’s Augustinian mission and commitment to sustainability as well as with Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudito Si, which details the human-caused threats to ecosystems and biodiversity and highlights the need for research efforts in these disciplines. In 2007 the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 CLAS, Villanova University president, signed the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment.

“Along with reflecting our strong commitment to sustainability, by bringing together these six outstanding experts in their fields CBEST will further enhance and increase research opportunities in the College for our undergraduate and graduate students,” says Adele Lindenmeyr, PhD, dean, Villanova University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “We also intend the Center to serve as a great resource for the community at large, including schools and community groups.”

The new Center will host a public launch celebration Monday, October 7 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a presentation by Jonathan Losos, PhD, professor of Biology and the William H. Danforth Distinguished University Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, as well the founding director of the Living Earth Collaborative—a biodiversity partnership between Washington University, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Saint Louis Zoo. Dr. Losos is the author of the 2018 book, Improbable Destinies: Fate, Chance, and the Future of Evolution, which tackles questions about how evolution works in a style that has been called a refreshingly accessible narrative.

Featured

  • New Jersey PreK–12 School Breaks Ground on New STEM Building

    Saddle River Day School (SRDS) in Saddle River, N.J., recently announced that it has broken ground on the new Dr. Kristen Walsh Hall of Science & Entrepreneurship, according to a news release. The school partnered with DIGroup Architecture for the design of the new facility, which will provide the school with space to expand its STEM and business education classes.

  • Rice University to Build New Student Life Complex

    Rice University in Houston, Texas, recently announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL) will take place on May 8, 2025, according to a university news release. The 75,000-square-foot facility was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig with Page serving as executive architect, and it has an estimated completion date of fall 2027.

  • Pangram Secures Funding for AI Detection Technology

    Pangram, which provides technology that detects AI-generated text, recently announced that it has secured nearly $4 million in pre-seed and seed funding, according to a news release. The most recent round of investments, totaling $2.7 million, come on top of the pre-existing seed fund of $1.25 million.

  • old university building with visible aging signs, overlaid with digital data graphics like thermal maps, charts, and system icons

    Modernizing Higher Education Infrastructure: Why Smarter Facility Management Is Essential to Protecting Aging Schools

    Schools now have the opportunity to adopt smarter, more strategic approaches to futureproof operations and enhance the on-campus experience.

Digital Edition