T. Mason Linscott

My working philosophy is built on the three pillars of biodiversity research: discovery, conservation, and education. My overarching approach is to use my research to teach students and the public of the value of each pillar through direct experience with living or preserved organisms – to demonstrate the thrill and ongoing opportunities for discovery, the benefits of a healthy conserved ecosystem, and the power of education to elicit and sustain future discoveries and conservation policy.

These pillars also guide my public engagement as they provide a two-sided mandate for 1) the empowerment of underrepresented, rural communities for research and academic opportunities as they are often the first to interact with threatened or poorly-understood species; and 2) the incorporation of local knowledge into policymaking and education as cultural connectedness to local biodiversity is a source of knowledge and experience which can guide future discovery and conservation.