C. L. Lundell Professor & Director, Plant Resources Center

Department of Botany, The University of Texas at Austin

• Society for Economic Botany, President
• Botanical Society of America, President
• American Institute of Biological Sciences, Board of Directors
• American Society of Plant Taxonomists, President
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Fellow
• American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow

Dr. Simpson's laboratory is engaged in an array of studies that deal with the phylogeny and biogeography of various angiosperm groups. Most biogeographic work is directed toward explaining patterns seen in the American Southwest, Mexico, and Central and South America. Methodologies for uncovering evolutionary histories include molecular as well as traditional techniques. Other research involves relationships between native solitary bees and their New World hosts, especially plants with oil-secreting flowers.