Want to learn about the Botanic Research Institute of Texas (BRIT)? It’s more than just a beautiful garden! Barney L. Lipscomb, Director of the BRIT Press and Library and the Leonhardt Chair of Texas Botany joins us to discuss the Herbarium and Library, two research collections at BRIT that are the cornerstones of the BRIT mission to Explore, Discover, and Engage. The researchers at the institute explore the critically important world of plants, collaborate to discover the roles they play in our cultural and natural environments, and engage people to conserve nature and improve the human experience. BRIT shares knowledge about the plant world to enhance life for people and all living things through research, education, and publishing. This talk will discuss the history of these foundational resources and how they are used today, including by members of the public.

Barney L. Lipscomb is the Director of the BRIT Press and Library and the Leonhardt Chair of Texas Botany. He received his Bachelor’s of Science Degree from Cameron University and his Master’s from the University of Arkansas. In addition to the publications program, Barney is one of the authors of Shinners and Mahler’s Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas, Illustrated Flora of East Texas, and Ferns and Lycophytes of Texas. Barney serves on the Board of Consultants for the North Texas Poison Center in Dallas and has research interests in the application of botany to forensic science. As Editor-in-Chief of Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (formerly Sida, Contributions to Botany) as well as the Sida, Botanical Miscellany Series, Barney plays an integral role in disseminating some of the results of the BRIT research staff in our internationally distributed, peer-refereed journals. Barney’s personal taxonomic specialty is the family Cyperaceae, and he has carried out fieldwork in various parts of the U.S., Mexico, and Central America. Barney is an active member of the Council of Botanical and Horticultural Libraries (CBHL) and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Flora of North America Association, as well as serving as their Treasurer.

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