Environment

About the Author

Dr. David M. Hassenzahl, dean of the College of Natural Sciences at the California State University at Chico, is an internationally recognized scholar of sustainability and risk analysis. His leadership, research, teaching, and outreach efforts focus on incorporating scientific information and expertise into public decisions, with particular emphasis on the management, interpretation, and communication of uncertainty. He has dedicated the last three decades to addressing subjects as diverse as climate change, energy, toxic chemicals, nuclear materials, and public health; has presented on these topics on four continents; and has supported decision making in public, private, and not-for-profit contexts. Dr. Hassenzahl holds a B.A. in environmental science and paleontology from the University of California at Berkeley and a Ph.D. in science, technology, and environmental policy from Princeton University.

Mary Catherine Hager is a professional science writer and editor specializing in life and earth sciences. She received a double-major B.A. in environmental science and biology from the University of Virginia and an M.S. in zoology from the University of Georgia. Ms. Hager worked as an editor for an environmental consulting firm and as a senior editor for a scientific reference publisher. For more than 20 years, she has written and edited for environmental science, biology, and ecology textbooks primarily targeting college audiences. Additionally, she has published articles in environmental trade magazines and edited federal and state assessments of wetlands conservation issues. Her writing and editing pursuits are a natural outcome of her scientific training and curiosity, coupled with her love commitment to effective communication.

Nancy Y. Gift, Compton Chair of Sustainability at Berea College, in Berea, Kentucky, enjoys teaching in a wide range of sustainability-related courses. She has taught women's nature writers, first-year writing, grant writing, ecology, weed science, sustainable agriculture, history of African-American farmers, and mathematics for the environment; she continually teaches introductory sustainability and environmental science. She has written two books for the public on the role of weeds in healthy lawns, and she is an associate editor for Agronomy Journal. She holds a B.A. in biology from Harvard University, an M.S. in crop and soil science from the University of Kentucky, and a Ph.D. in crop science from Cornell University.

Linda R. Berg is an award-winning teacher and textbook author. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park, after completing her B.S. and M.S. at the same institution. Her recent interests involve the Florida Everglades and conservation biology. Dr. Berg formerly taught at the University of Maryland, College Park, for almost two decades, followed by St. Petersburg College in Florida for one decade. She taught introductory courses in environmental science, biology, and botany to thousands of students and received numerous teaching and service awards. Dr. Berg is also the recipient of many national and regional awards, including the National Science Teachers Association Award for Innovations in College Science Teaching, the Nation's Capital Area Disabled student Services Award, and the Washington Academy of Sciences Award in University Science Teaching. During her career as a professional science writer, Dr. Berg has authored or co-authored several leading college science textbooks. Her writing reflects her teaching style and love of science.

Peter H. Raven, one of the world’s leading botanists, has dedicated nearly five decades to conservation and biodiversity as president (now emeritus) of the Missouri Botanical Garden and professor of Botany at Washington University in St. Louis, where he has cultivated a world-class institution of horticultural display, education, and research. Described by Time magazine as a "Hero for the Planet," Dr. Raven champions research around the world to preserve endangered species and is a leading advocate for conservation and a sustainable environment. Dr. Raven received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, after completing his undergraduate work at the University of California, Berkeley.