Chelsea Specht

Chelsea Specht is the Barbara McClintock Professor of Plant Biology at Cornell University, affiliated with the School of Integrative Plant Science’s Plant Biology Section and the L.H. Bailey Hortorium. She holds roles as Associate Dean of Faculty and Associate Director for Faculty Development, Equity, and Inclusion. Her research focuses on plant diversity, evolutionary biology, and the integration of morphological, genomic, and phylogenetic approaches to study plant form and function. She has mentored 5 graduate students and 4 postdocs, with grants from the NSF since 2006, including an NSF CAREER award. Awards include the Grady Webster Award (2016) and fellowships from the California Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Sciences.

Education: B.A. (Biology/Psychology) from University of Delaware (1993), M.S. (Biology) and Ph.D. (Biology) from New York University (1997, 2004).

Research interests span plant systematics, biogeography, and developmental genetics. Current projects include studies on Zingiberales floral evolution, Calochortus speciation, and the development of comparative analysis tools like ArborWorkflows. She is active in promoting diversity and inclusion in academia, serving as President of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists and Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Botanical Society of America.

Labs/Teams: Specht Lab (focusing on plant biodiversity and inclusive mentoring), L.H. Bailey Hortorium, and collaborations with institutions like the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future.