BotanyErin Logan
2026 The Anne S. Chatham Fellowship in Medicinal Botany
Ethnobotany of Black America: Antebellum Plant Use and Its Effects on Today
This research aims to progress the knowledge of Black Ethnobotany, which refers to the plants used by enslaved African Americans and their descendants. It will document Antebellum-era plant use by enslaved African Americans in North Carolina and assess the persistence of related knowledge across generations.The goal is to witness and preserve the stories of local Black communities before they are lost to time, and to integrate innovative, ethical techniques to connect the lives and health of buried ancestors to their living descendants. Methods include archival research of plant-based practices, analysis of plant ancient DNA from burial sites to identify species potentially utilized by enslaved people, interviews with living descendants for known or practiced traditions, and bioassays of plant medicinal properties.
School: North Carolina State University
The Anne S. Chatham Fellowship in Medicinal Botany
To protect, preserve, and expand knowledge about the medicinal use of plants, thus preventing the disappearance of plants with therapeutic potential. Providing this research opportunity for botanists can, in turn, assist medical science to develop therapies that improve the quality of life of patients and develop life-saving medicines.
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