William (Ned) Friedman
Public Garden Administration and Expert in Plant Evolution and Morphology
Member since: 2021
Proposed by: Fox Hill Garden Club, Zone I
Dr. Friedman is the director of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University and the Arnold Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. He is a passionate advocate for the importance of plant science.
His research interests include the origin and early evolution of flowering plant reproduction and the intellectual history of early evolutionism and plant morphology. More recently, he has focused on our understanding of Charles Darwin and evolution through the lens of botany and horticulture.
Since joining the Arnold Arboretum in 2011, Dr. Friedman has expanded the reach of the organization through public school initiatives, social media engagement, academic collaboration, and engagement with civic groups.
Together with Michael Dosmann, a GCA scholarship recipient, he has accelerated Harvard's efforts to explore, inventory, and collect vanishing biodiversity worldwide - establishing a Living Plants Collection.
He is the recipient of the Pellon Award from the Botanical Society of America and is a member of numerous prestigious societies.
