Member

Patrick was born in 1959 and received his interest in biology growing up in the South Bend, Indiana area. He received his BS degree from California State University, Long Beach, June 1982, and his MS degree at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, in June 1985, with a thesis entitled The Alvars of the Maxton Plains, Drummond Island, Michigan: Present Community Composition and Vegetation Changes. He earned his PhD degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, in April, 1990, with a dissertation entitled Fossil History of the Leguminosae from the Eocene of Southeastern North America. Patrick was a visiting professor, Indiana University, Department of Biology, summer of 1990; postdoctoral research fellow, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden, 1990-91; postdoctoral research associate, Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 1991 to 1993; adjunct curator, Department of Geology, The Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, March, 1993-August, 1997; research associate, The Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, 1993 to 2003; and research associate, National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C., beginning in 1997. Since 1997, Patrick’s main responsibilities are working as the Robert Griggs Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University. He was affiliate professor, Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, from 2000 to 2003. Patrick has received grants from National Science Foundation, George Washington University, Indiana Academy of Science, and the Michigan Nature Conservancy. Fellowships and awards include the Isabel Cookson Award, Paleobotanical Section, Botanical Society of America, August, 1990; Bayard Franklin Floyd Memorial Fellowship, Indiana University (1988-89); Floyd Fellowship, Indiana University: summers of 1986, 1987, 1988; associate instructor, Indiana University (1985-88, 1989-90); Indiana University, Department of Biology, Travel Awards (1986, 1988, 1989); Michigan State University, College of Natural Sciences, Travel Award, 1984; and teaching assistant, Michigan State University from 1983 to 1985. Patrick’s professional service includes: organizer, Midcontinent Paleobotanical Colloquium, 2001, George Washington University; Botanical Society of America representative to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2000-03; editor in chief, Systematic Botany, December 2003-06; managing editor, Systematic Botany, 1998-2003; editorial board, Journal of Plant Research, 1999-2003; and editor, Bibliography of American Paleobotany, 1996-2000. He also has been chair, Paleobotanical Section, Botanical Society of America, 1997-98; co-organizer (with Anne Bruneau and Gwilym Lewis) Symposium, Phylogenetic relationships in Caesalpinioideae, 3rd International Legume Conference, Canberra, Australia, 2001; co-organizer (with Anne Bruneau), Symposium, Phylogenetic relationships in Caesalpinioideae: evidence from multiple sources of characters, 16th International Botanical Congress, St. Louis, Missouri, August, 1999; co-organizer (with Peter R. Crane), 44th Annual Systematics Symposium, Missouri Botanical Garden, The origin of modern terrestrial ecosystems: fossils, phylogeny and biogeography October, 1997; and American Society of Plant Systematists, Systematic Collections Committee, 1996-1999. He serves as a reviewer on numerous journals and has advised numerous graduate students. Patrick is a member of many organizations including: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society of Plant Taxonomists, Botanical Society of America International Association for Plant Taxonomy, International Association of Wood Anatomists International Organization of Palaeobotany, Linnean Society of London, Sigma Xi, and Society of Systematic Biologists. Patrick was elected to the Washington Biologists’ Field Club in 2002 and has served as a board member.