Lisa Delissio

Lisa Delissio is a tenured Professor of Biology in the Department of Biology at Salem State University, where she teaches courses ranging from introductory botany to advanced conservation biology and mentors undergraduate research. She also directs scientific studies at the F. Carroll Sargent Arboretum located in Greenlawn Cemetery and consults for screenwriters via the National Academy of Sciences’ Science & Entertainment Exchange.

Education

• B.S. Biology, Tufts University
• Ph.D. Biology, Boston University (tropical forest ecology, Borneo)

Research Interests

Dr. Delissio’s scholarship bridges plant ecology, conservation biology, and the history of science. She investigates the ecological dynamics of botanical gardens and arboreta, uncovers the contributions of historical women botanists, and employs archival plant specimens to understand past climates and biodiversity patterns. Her fieldwork spans from tropical rain forests in Malaysian Borneo to local cemetery arboretums in New England.

A second major strand of her work examines how historical female botanists shaped scientific knowledge yet were subsequently erased from mainstream narratives. By recovering their archival specimens and personal writings, she reconstructs their scientific legacies and assesses their relevance to contemporary conservation and climate-change research.

Publication Trends

Across more than twenty years of research, her publications have evolved from detailed ecological studies of canopy-tree seedling dynamics in Bornean rain forests toward interdisciplinary investigations that fuse historical botany, gender studies, and modern conservation science. Recent outputs emphasize the recovery of lost or marginalized scientific voices and their implications for understanding botanical responses to climate change.

Presentations & Outreach

• Invited keynote, Transatlantic Studies Association Annual Conference, Lancaster University, 2024
• Invited seminars, Natural History Museum London, 2024 & 2025
• Upcoming talks at Explorers Lifelong Learning Institute and Université Bourgogne Europe, 2025

Labs & Teams

Dr. Delissio leads undergraduate research projects in the Biology Department and coordinates the ongoing scientific monitoring program at the F. Carroll Sargent Arboretum, engaging students in field-based conservation and historical ecology work.