David Taylor, Biology, IU Southeast

That outreach extends beyond the borders of his campus classroom and laboratory. Each year, he conducts field tours for sixth graders from Galena Elementary School and frequently visits area elementary schools in an effort to inspire excitement in youth for science. He spent Christmas 1999 in Jordan where he unearthed a large flowering plant fossil—it is the oldest found to date in the Middle East.

In 1987, Taylor earned his doctoral degree in botany from the University of Connecticut. Afterward, he served four years as a post-doctoral fellow, lecturer and visiting assistant professor at Yale University before coming to IU Southeast in 1991.

Taylor’s research and constant quest for learning has earned him national acclaim in the world of palaeobotany. In July 2000, Taylor traveled to China to conduct field research and to give a collaborative presentation to the International Organization of Palaeobotany Conference on the 120 million-year-old fossil he found in Jordan.

As curator of IU Southeast’s herbarium—a place that houses plants used for research—Taylor provides pertinent data to researchers from around the world.

Other honors include: elected member of IU’s Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching, 1997 IU Southeast Distinguished Research and Creativity Award and IU Teaching Excellence Recognition Award for 1997 and 1998.

And he supports the campus in other ways. During the past year, Taylor has donated more than $10,000 to the School of Natural Sciences and the Paul W. Ogle Cultural and Community Center.

“We have a really good institution that serves students well,” he said. “I think it’s a worthwhile place to support!”