Linda Howard

Linda grew up in western Arizona and moved to the Phoenix area in 2002. She holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Conservation Biology and Public Service and Public Policy. She is currently a PhD candidate with the Center for Biology and Society at Arizona State University where her research takes a multidimensional approach to plant conservation by exploring the role of plant appreciation in the development and implementation of conservation policy in the Unites States. She also serves as the IUCN Red List Authority for the Sonoran Desert Plant Specialist Group which is working to create a comprehensive inventory and threat assessments of Sonoran Desert plants to provide a baseline for better understanding species decline and for the development of regional conservation planning. She brings a network of contacts within the public sector and the conservation community, as well as knowledge of conservation practices and regional ecology that will be an asset to the Desert Seed Resource Center.