Toby Pennington has been installed as the inaugural David and Dorothy Kemper Professor. A ceremony took place Nov. 19.
His professorship was made possible by a generous pledge from Distinguished Trustee David Kemper and his wife, Dorothy, along with the William T. Kemper Foundation.
The program included a welcome from Feng Sheng Hu, the Richard G. Engelsmann Dean of Arts & Sciences and the Lucille P. Markey Distinguished Professor, and remarks from Ram Dixit, chair of biology in Arts & Sciences. Chancellor Andrew D. Martin performed the installation and medallion ceremony, as well as a shadowbox presentation for the Kempers.
Pennington’s research focuses on plant biodiversity in Latin America, where he has worked across 10 countries. In recent years, he has specialized in the biodiversity, biogeography and ecology of dry biomes in the tropics.
“Toby Pennington’s arrival is a vital part of our commitment to establishing St. Louis as a plant science powerhouse,” Hu said. “His joint appointment with WashU and the Missouri Botanical Garden is a significant milestone, and I’m so proud that he chose to join us.”
Pennington is one of two new biology hires with joint appointments at the Missouri Botanical Garden and WashU. Lúcia Lohmann, the garden’s president and a world-renowned botanist and conservationist known for her extensive research in the Amazon, was installed earlier this fall as the George Engelmann Professor of Botany in the Department of Biology.
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