What is the Harris World Ecology Center?
Our Mission
Our long-term vision is to reverse the trend of biodiversity loss through community education, research, and the training of students who then take on decision-making positions in regions and countries where biodiversity is threatened. We do this by supporting the research and training of graduate and undergraduate students in ecology, evolution and conservation, as well as through community outreach.
Our constituents are current, past, and prospective undergraduates and graduate students, our scientific partners, our local partner organizations, and community members from the St. Louis region. We encourage research locally, regionally, and internationally, as well as the training of both local and international students.
A Brief History
Founded in 1990 as the International Center for Tropical Ecology, the Center was established to secure financial support for graduate research in tropical ecology and conservation. Early work focused heavily on Latin America.
In 2006, a transformative gift from Whitney R. Harris expanded the Center’s scope from tropical to global conservation, and we became the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center.
From the outset, the Missouri Botanical Garden (MOBOT) has been a core partner, with the Saint Louis Zoo (STLZOO) joining in 2000 in joint research and training initiatives. The Center remains housed within the Department of Biology at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
Today, HWEC represents a globally unique model: the only formal partnership uniting a major research university, an internationally recognized botanical garden, and an internationally recognized zoo in shared biodiversity research and training of students.
Individually, each institution advances conservation science. Together, our collective impact is far greater.
Our Impact
The Harris Center operates through 26 endowed and public gift accounts that support students, fellowships, laboratory and field research, and operations. Current endowments total $7.8 million.
Since 1990:
- 300+ students have graduated
- Students have come from 39 countries across the globe
- Research has been conducted in 44 countries
Our alumni now serve in research institutions, government agencies, and NGOs around the world - leading efforts in biodiversity conservation and ecological science
Training Opportunities & Additional Partners
Beyond supporting research, the Harris Center also offers training to implement conservation in real-world context through a certificate program. As part of their certificate requirements, students intern with local, national, and international conservation NGOs and government agencies.
Partner organizations include the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, the Audubon Center at Riverlands, the City of St. Louis, The Saint Louis Zoo, and the Missouri Botanical Garden.
These experiences bridge science and application, equipping students to move from research to action.
Community Outreach
Community education has been central to our mission from the beginning.
World Ecology Day evolved into the annual Whitney and Anna Harris Conservation Forum, traditionally held each fall at the Saint Louis Zoo. In the spring, we host the Jane and Whitney Harris Lecture Series at the Missouri Botanical Garden, featuring leading voices in biodiversity conservation. We are a co-founding organization of the Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainability Series and we appear at other events throughout the year to support our partners and engage with the public, bringing fun activities for everyone to engage with and learn from.
Through these public programs, we connect scientific research with community engagement with the aim to foster awareness, dialogue, and long-term conservation impact.
Whitney R. Harris was a founding member of the Development Board of the International Center for Tropical Ecology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Ever since his involvement with the Nuremberg Trials in 1946, Whitney Harris strived to promote peace and harmony among all peoples. He recognized the importance of the global environment for human well-being, and promoted conservation of the natural world through public education. Through a generous gift in 2006, the Center was renamed the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center and expanded to conserve not only tropical but also temperate ecosystems. Whitney Harris's generosity and vision support the Center's mission to educate the next generation of ecologists and conservation biologists, at a time when the conservation of natural resources is of paramount importance.
From Aimee Dunlap, PhD - Director of the Harris World Ecology Center:
The Center, established in 1990, has become, through its partnerships with the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Saint Louis Zoo, the premier institution for graduate studies in ecology and biodiversity conservation in the United States. Faculty at the University of Missouri-St. Louis collaborate with research faculty in the Herbarium and the Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development at the Missouri Botanical Garden and with conservation biologists and veterinarians in the WildCare Institute at the Saint Louis Zoo. This institutional collaboration has been fostered by the generosity of the E. Desmond Lee and Family Fund through the creation of the E. Desmond Lee and Family Fund Chairs in Botanical and Zoological Studies.
From Peter Wyse Jackson, PhD, Former
President, Missouri Botanical Garden:
The Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, which was initiated by the University of Missouri-St. Louis in cooperation with the Missouri Botanical Garden almost 20 years ago, has grown into one of the world's preeminent centers for education and research in tropical biology. Its activities remain critically important for us all as we strive for international peace and harmony through the proper management of the world's biological resources. The Missouri Botanical Garden is proud of what our cooperative efforts have accomplished, and will continue to support the University strongly in the future development of the Center. As an institution with a history of nearly 150 years in pursuit of such aims, we are delighted with the opportunities for enhanced synergy in achieving them over the years to come.
From Jeffrey P. Bonner, PhD
Former Dana Brown President & CEO, Saint Louis Zoo:
The Saint Louis Zoo is proud to be a partner with the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center and its important work. We believe that a remarkable synergy has resulted from our joint efforts in tropical biology and conservation, with bright prospects for the future as our field programs continue to grow. In this time of increasing environmental risks, the Saint Louis Zoo believes that the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center will continue to play a vital role in studying and understanding our planet's diversity, and in ensuring trained professionals in many of the world's most biologically important countries.
Leadership Council
The Leadership Committee provides strategic guidance and long-term vision for the Harris World Ecology Center. Composed of representatives from the University of Missouri–St. Louis, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Saint Louis Zoo, and community volunteers, the Committee ensures alignment across partner institutions and helps advance the Center’s mission.
The Committee advises on programmatic direction, promotes events, and strengthens institutional collaboration to maximize impact. Current committee members:
Matthew Albrecht, PhD, Director, Center for Conservation & Sustainable Development, Missouri Botanical Garden
Andrew Balkansky, PhD, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, UMSL
Louise Bradshaw, Community Volunteer
Megan Bush, Growth Strategy at Accenture Song Sustainability, Community Volunteer
Liz de Laperouse, Council Vice-Chair, Community Volunteer
Aimee Dunlap, PhD, Professor, UMSL Biology; Director of the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center
Brian Ferris, UMSL Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability
Gunter Fischer, PhD, Senior Vice President, Science and Conservation, Missouri Botanical Garden
Ilene Follman, Community Volunteer
Anna Harris, Community Volunteer and Co-Founder, Harris World Ecology Center
Meg Humphries, PhD, Assistant Teaching Professor, UMSL Biology
Lisa Kelley, PhD, Executive Director of the WildCare Institute, Saint Louis Zoo
Ken Kranzberg, Community Volunteer
Cynthia Lloyd, Executive Director of St. Louis-based SCOPE (Science and Citizens Organized for Purpose and Exploration), Community Volunteer
Michael Macek, Director, Saint Louis Zoo
Maureen McGrath, Community Volunteer
Eric Miller, DVM, Community Volunteer
Olga Martha Montiel, Council Chair, Community Volunteer
Jim Moog, Community Volunteer
Mary Moog, Community Volunteer
Donna Nonnenkamp, PhD, Community Volunteer; Chair, Robert R. Hermann World Ecology Award Committee
Patrick Osborne, PhD, Community Volunteer; former Executive Director, Harris World Ecology Center
Patricia Parker, PhD, Community Volunteer; former Director, Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center
Sarah Trulaske, Community Volunteer
Virgil V. Van Trease, Community Volunteer
John Wagner, Director of Development - Arts and Sciences
Steve Walentik, Public Relations/Content Manager, UMSL
Catherine Werner, Community Volunteer
Bethany Zolman, PhD, Associate Professor, UMSL Biology; Chair - Biology Department