Sean Griffin PHOTO Sloan Breeden

Dr. Sean Griffin has been appointed the Wildflower Center’s first Director of Science and Conservation, spearheading a new department that builds upon the Center’s long-standing research program and creates new opportunities for students, researchers and land stewards across the state.

“This marks the beginning of an exciting new era for the Wildflower Center,” said Lee Clippard, interim executive director. “Sean will leverage his deep experience in field ecology and passion for pollinator diversity, landscape restoration and public outreach to grow this new department and the Center’s capacity to positively impact Texas landscapes.”

Griffin received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 2019, studying the response of plants and pollinators to habitat corridors, prescribed burning, and other management techniques across restored grasslands in Illinois and Michigan. In 2020, he began working with Wildflower Center staff and volunteers as a post-doctoral researcher in the lab of Dr. Shalene Jha at The University of Texas at Austin, leading a study of the long-term effects of burning and seeding across the Cross Timbers ecoregion of northern Texas and Oklahoma. Jha is an associate professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and the Academic Director of Research for the Wildflower Center.

Griffin’s appointment, along with the Center’s recent field station designation, will lead to a better understanding of native and managed landscapes — using environmental monitoring, original research and public outreach — to inform decision-making about the best ways to support the people, plants and wildlife of Texas.

“I am excited to grow this new department,” said Griffin. “There are so many opportunities to connect with the public and learn how our research can support restoration efforts throughout Texas.”