Laurence Skog
Encyclopedia
Laurence Edgar Skog is an American botanist who specializes on the flowering plant
family Gesneriaceae
.
Laurence Edgar Skog was born in Duluth, Minnesota
, the oldest of four children. Skog was a graduate of the University of Minnesota
at Duluth from where he received a Bachelor of Arts
in botany
with a minor in chemistry
in (1965). Skog earned his Masters of Science in botany at the University of Connecticut
at Storrs
(1968).
From 1973 to 2003 Skog was a curator and research scientist in the Botany Department of the Smithsonian Institution
's National Museum of Natural History
. Since his retirement in 2003 he has continued to work at the museum as an emeritus curator.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
family Gesneriaceae
Gesneriaceae
Gesneriaceae is a family of flowering plants consisting of ca. 150 genera and ca. 3,200 species in the Old World and New World tropics and subtropics, with a very small number extending to temperate areas. Many species have colorful and showy flowers and are cultivated as ornamental plants.Most...
.
Laurence Edgar Skog was born in Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
, the oldest of four children. Skog was a graduate of the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
at Duluth from where he received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
with a minor in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
in (1965). Skog earned his Masters of Science in botany at the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
at Storrs
Storrs
Storrs may refer to:* Storrs, Connecticut, a US village* Storrs Hall, a listed building in Cumbria, EnglandPeople with the surname Storrs:* Francis Storrs* George Storrs , American preacher, Christian writer, and editor...
(1968).
From 1973 to 2003 Skog was a curator and research scientist in the Botany Department of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
's National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
. Since his retirement in 2003 he has continued to work at the museum as an emeritus curator.