Biographical Sketch
Gretchen C. Daily is Associate Professor (Research) in the Department of Biological Sciences, Director of the Tropical Research Program of the Center for Conservation Biology, and Senior Fellow at the Institute for International Studies at Stanford University.
An ecologist by training, Dr. Daily is working to develop a scientific basis – and political and institutional support – for managing Earth’s life support systems. Her efforts span basic science, environmental policy analysis, teaching, and public education.
Upon receiving her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University, Dr. Daily was granted the Frances Lou Kallman Award for Excellence in Science and Graduate Study (1992). She was then named a Pew Fellow in Conservation and the Environment (1994), a fellow of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program (1999), a recipient of the 21st Century Scientist Award (2000), a Smith Senior Scholar of The Nature Conservancy (2003), and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2003).
Dr. Daily has published over 125 scientific and popular articles. Her most recent book is The New Economy of Nature: The Quest to Make Conservation Profitable, coauthored with journalist Katherine Ellison (2002, Island Press). Her other books are Nature’s Services: Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems (Daily, G, Ed., 1997, Island Press) and The Stork and the Plow: The Equity Solution to the Human Dilemma (Ehrlich, P, A Ehrlich, and G Daily, 1995, Putnam Press). She serves or served on the board of editors for Ecological Applications, Ecological Economics, Ecosystems, and the Encyclopedia of Biodiversity.
Dr. Daily’s primary scientific efforts concern the future course of extinction, the resulting changes in the delivery of ecosystem services, and novel opportunities for biodiversity conservation. She is developing Countryside Biogeography, a framework for forecasting changes in biodiversity, supported by field research, remote sensing, and theoretical modeling. Dr. Daily is also investigating Ecosystem Services, assessing their dependence on biodiversity, their susceptibility to human impacts, and priorities for their conservation. Finally, Dr. Daily is developing an interdisciplinary framework in Conservation Finance, for assessing the scope and efficacy of diverse institutional mechanisms that aim to align economic incentives with conservation.
Through university teaching, public speaking, and communication through the media, Dr. Daily attempts to convey the importance and relevance of environmental science to diverse audiences. She works extensively with economists, lawyers, business people, and government agencies to incorporate environmental issues into business practice and government policy. She has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines, and on radio and television internationally.
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