معرفی
Royal C. Gardner serves as Professor of Law and Director of the Stetson Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy at Stetson University College of Law. Holding the Hugh F. Culverhouse Chair, he has previously served as director of graduate and international programs, associate dean, vice dean, and interim dean at Stetson. His international work includes significant leadership roles with the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Gardner's educational background includes:
- A.B. from Georgetown University
- J.D. from Boston College Law School (magna cum laude, Order of the Coif)
Professor Gardner is an internationally recognized expert in wetland law and policy, with research focusing on U.S. and international wetland legal and policy issues, particularly biodiversity offsets. His scholarship examines federal protection of wetlands in the United States, Ramsar Convention implementation, and Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulation. He has lectured across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, and has taught at Stetson's international programs in Spain, Germany, Argentina, and Estonia.
His extensive publication record demonstrates consistent focus on wetland conservation law, with recent works addressing Supreme Court decisions affecting wetlands, Ramsar Convention governance, and international biodiversity frameworks. Gardner's scholarship often bridges scientific understanding with legal frameworks, particularly evident in his amicus briefs supporting the Clean Water Rule based on scientific evidence.
Among his notable recognitions:
- Recipient of the 2018 President's Service Award from the Society of Wetland Scientists
- Recipient of the 2006 National Wetlands Award for Education and Outreach
- Recipient of the American Bar Association's 2016 Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy Award (through the Institute he directs)
- Multiple recipient of Stetson University's Homer and Dolly Hand Award for Excellence in Faculty Scholarship
- Voted Outstanding Professor by the Stetson student body
- Recipient of the Outstanding Instructor Award from Concordia International University-Estonia
Gardner has served two terms (2013-2018) as chair of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) of the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental wetland treaty with 170 countries. He also served on the Ramsar STRP as a North American representative (2006–2008) and invited expert (2009–2012), and chaired the U.S. National Ramsar Committee (2005–2008). Prior to academia, he served as the Department of the Army's principal wetland attorney (1989-1993) and worked on nuclear weapons dismantlement agreements with former Soviet states (1993-1994). He has testified before World Bank arbitration panels and coauthored amicus briefs on behalf of environmental scientists.
Through the Stetson Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy, Gardner has expanded the Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. He co-created a traveling course focused on the Everglades and has participated in Ramsar Convention Conferences of the Parties held globally from Spain to Switzerland.
