Matthew Pace
Position title: Ph.D. (2011-2015)
Background & Research Interests: A graduate of Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, Matthew is interested in phylogenetic systematics, population genetics, and biogeography of Spiranthes, a genus of primarily North American orchids. “I am addressing problematic species complexes, and investigating how this genus spread across the globe. Additionally, I’m examining the relationship between distribution, pollinators, and genetic diversity. This has important consequences for conservation since many Spiranthes are undergoing population declines.”
Dissertation: “Evolution, species boundaries, and biogeography of Spiranthes (Orchidaceae): uncoiling Ames’s “most perplexing orchid genus in our flora”. Defended May 2015.
Current Status: Dr. Pace is now Assistant Curator of The New York Botanical Garden Herbarium (NY) in the Bronx.