Katie Wenzell
Assistant Professor of Plant Conservation & C.A. Taylor Herbarium Director
Biography
I'm an evolutionary ecologist studying how plants reproduce, persist and change across time and space. My research focuses on how ecological interactions shape the evolution of plant lineages and how this can inform their conservation. I'm particularly interested in plant-pollinator interactions, floral trait variation and population and conservation genetics. My research integrates phenotypic, genomic and ecological approaches to better understand early stages of divergence and speciation and to inform the conservation of native plants.
Education
- B.S. in botany | University of Oklahoma | 2009-2013
- Ph.D. in plant biology and conservation | Northwestern University and Chicago Botanic Garden | 2015-2021
Postdoctoral Experience
- Postdoctoral scientist | John Innes Centre | 2021-2023
- National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellowship in biology | California Academy of Sciences and University of Maryland | 2023-2025
Academic and Professional Experience
Academic Interests
- Native plant conservation
- Use of herbarium collections for research and conservation
- Conservation genetics and population genetics/genomics
- Plant-pollinator interactions
Academic Responsibilities
- Director of C.A. Taylor Herbarium
- BOT 405-505/ BOT 405L-505L 鈥 Grasses and Grasslike Plants
- BOT 301 鈥 Plant Systematics
- NRM 410 鈥 Conservation Biology
Committees and Professional Memberships
- Botanical Society of America
- Ecological Society of America
- Society for the Study of Evolution
- American Society of Plant Taxonomists
- Society of Herbarium Curators
Work Experience
Applied plant conservation positions with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Chicago Botanic Garden, Native Plant Trust and the Morton Arboretum.
Research and Scholarly Work
Areas of Research
- Plant-pollinator interactions
- Plant reproductive ecology
- Floral trait evolution
- Early stages of divergence and speciation
- Conservation and population genetics/genomics
Publications
- Fetterly E., A. Braum, E.S. Kim, K. Wenzell, M. Ashley, L. Steger, J. Fant. 2025. . American Journal of Botany: Special Issue Paradigm Shifts in Flower Color: e70094. doi:10.1002/ajb2.70094
- Wenzell, K. and M. Neequaye. 2025. . A commentary on "Geographical variation in flower colour of a food-deceptive orchid reflects local pollinator preferences.鈥 Invited Commentary to Annals of Botany, Vol. 136, Issue 3, August 2025, Pages i鈥搃ii. doi:10.1093/aob/mcaf135
- Wenzell, K.*, M. Neequaye*, P. Paajanen, L. Hill, P. Brett, K. Byers. 2025. . Nature Communications 16, 2721. doi:10.1038/s41467-025-57639-3 (*Co-first authors)
- Wenzell, K., J. Zhang, K. Skogen and J. Fant. 2024. . Ecology and Evolution 14: e11443. doi:10.1002/ece3.11443
- Wenzell, K., K. Skogen and J. Fant. 2023. . Oikos 2023(6):e09708. doi:10.1111/oik.09708
- Wenzell, K., A. McDonnell, N. Wickett, J. Fant and K. Skogen. 2021. . American Journal of Botany 108(7): 1-19. doi:10.1002/ajb2.1700
- Jerome, D., E. Beckman, L. Kenny, K. Wenzell, C.S. Kua, M. Westwood, 2017. The Red List of US Oaks. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois. ISBN: 9780999265604
Associated Areas
