Meet Dr. Maribeth Latvis, a botanist studying patterns of plant biodiversity!

Maribeth obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in 2005. She worked as a research assistant at Oregon State University and as a lab manager at Harvard University, before returning to graduate school at the University of Florida, where she earned her Ph.D. in Biology in 2013. Since then, she has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Idaho, and will begin a tenure-track faculty position at South Dakota State University in 2017. Maribeth loves being outside and gets a lot of inspiration from exploring new places, hiking, and learning about natural history. She has made a career out of understanding patterns of plant biodiversity. This allows her to do field work, spend time in a molecular lab, and learn new computer skills. Maribeth is also passionate about teaching, public policy, and getting others excited about biodiversity.