Richard Primack, Ph.D.

*Richard B. Primack, Professor, Biology, Boston University. Dr. Richard Primack is the author of two standard textbooks in the field of conservation biology. Through his innovative project in science publishing, he has brought experts from around the world to the general public and to students. He works with scientists from around the world to produce textbooks containing relevant examples from their own regions and in the languages of their regions. The translations are based on his textbooks and the scientists are coauthors on the books.

Twenty-seven foreign-language editions of Primack's textbooks have been produced, with local coauthors adding in local examples. He is an author of rain forest books, most recently Tropical Rain Forests: An Ecological and Biogeographical Comparison, Second Edition (with Richard Corlett). Dr. Primack’s research interests include: the biological impacts of climate change; the loss of species in protected areas; tropical forest ecology and conservation; and conservation education. He is currently writing a popular book about changes in Concord since the time of Henry David Thoreau and Walden.

  • awarded Bullard and Putnam Fellowships from Harvard University
  • Guggenheim Fellowship
  • President of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation
  • Editor-in-Chief of the journal Biological Conservation