Board of Advisors

The KU Biodiversity Institute Board of Advisors is comprised of up to 18 people who meet quarterly to assist the Biodiversity Institute by improving the quality, abundance and scope of the Biodiversity Institute’s services.

They advocate on behalf of the Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum to university, local and regional communities, and to state, national and international audiences. The board joins the institute in discovering, documenting and disseminating knowledge of life on earth, past and present. 

Each advisory board member volunteers to serve a three-year term and may be elected for up to three consecutive terms. Members use their diverse backgrounds to provide counsel to Biodiversity Institute staff, serve as ambassadors on behalf of the organization, offer financial support, develop resources and assist in crafting strategic goals.

The 2023-2024 members of the Biodiversity Institute Board of Advisors are:

  • Barbara Ballard, Lawrence
  • Don Brada, Lawrence 
  • Sean Daly, Overland Park
  • George Hanson, Leawood
  • Tom Hardy, Cinncinnati, OH
  • Steven Hill, Lawrence — Vice Chair
  • David Lambertson, Winchester
  • David Ochoa, Fairway
  • Jann Rudkin, Los Gatos, CA
  • Tom Rudkin, Los Gatos, CA
  • Bill Sampson, Lawrence
  • John Schukman, Leavenworth
  • Carol Shankel, Lawrence — Chair
  • Dee Steinle, Lawrence
  • Chuck Warner, Lawrence

Do you have a passion for biodiversity science? An interest in natural history museums and community science outreach? Please contact us at biodiversity@ku.edu about possible participation on the KU Biodiversity Institute Board of Advisors.