Michigan State University has announced the appointment of Alan Prather as director of the Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum. Prather has served as interim director since October 2021. In addition to his expertise in plant biology and dedication to the garden during this interim period, Prather brings over two decades of experience within MSU. Prather is a faculty member in Plant Biology, where he was graduate director for many years. Since 1997, Prather has also directed one of Professor Beal’s other major campus collections, the MSU Herbarium.
“Dr. Prather has demonstrated great skill and care in his interim leadership of Beal Botanical Garden, and we are excited to welcome him to the director position,” said MSU Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko. “With Alan’s guidance, the garden has charted an innovative course for its future that embraces its role as a living laboratory as invested in learning and scholarship as it is in fostering connection and wellbeing.”
Prather earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1995, followed by a two-year postdoctoral position at the University of California, Irvine. A specialist in plant systematics, especially the evolution of plant morphology in relation to pollination systems and whole genome duplication, Prather has published extensively on the role of collections in research, especially on their significance to the scientific understanding of biodiversity. He has organized many workshops and symposia focused on creating regional networks of collections, novel use of natural history collections in research, promoting active and inquiry-based education using specimens, and many other topics.
Prather brings a longstanding dedication to teaching and learning to this role. Together with collaborators at MSU, he has developed learning modules for teaching and outreach using herbarium specimens and tested these in the classroom and botanical gardens. The Beal Botanical Garden has also deepened its commitment to advancing the university’s academic mission under his tenure as interim director by forwarding the interconnected relationship between people and plants.
“Beal Botanical Garden was founded with the intention of serving as a place that centers hands-on education and engagement with the natural world,” said Judith Stoddart, vice provost for University Arts and Collections. “Rooted in Alan’s leadership, we look forward to continued growth in the garden and arboretum’s legacy as transformative contributors to learning, innovation and discovery at MSU.”
Prather assumes this role following an accomplished interim period. Under his leadership, the team at Beal Botanical Garden, in collaboration with colleagues from across campus, stewarded several new initiatives including:
- The creation of the Beal Scholars Internship Program, a mentored professional development experience for students from any discipline. Key scholar projects have included the Nurture Your Roots wellbeing stations in the garden and the augmented reality native plant experience.
- The Red Cedar Riverbank Restoration research and rewilding project.
- The adoption of a new botanical collection database that will make the garden’s collections publicly available for research and teaching for the first time (launching 2025).
- The completion of a new garden programmatic and land use plan to guide future sustainable development and growth.
- The completion of the Beal Botanical Garden 5-year strategic plan.
“I’m honored to continue working with the talented team at Beal Botanical Garden and with our creative colleagues in University Arts and Collections,” said Prather. “As our programming continues to expand in innovative and unexpected ways, our garden becomes more sustainable and beautiful and we continue to deepen our connections across the entire MSU campus. The garden is poised to become the place where everyone belongs and where our entire community knows they can learn, relax and grow.”
Established in 1873 by Professor William James Beal, the Beal Botanical Garden is the oldest continuously operated university botanical garden in the United States and an important part of the MSU campus experience. This living laboratory encourages learning and exploration of the natural world and illuminates the interconnectedness of people, plants and place. Positioned in the heart of MSU’s campus along the Red Cedar River, Beal Botanical Garden offers natural green space to encourage visitors’ wellbeing and reflection.
