Kristina A. Schierenbeck is Professor of Biological Sciences at California State University, Chico, and a passionate advocate for conservation. She teaches evolution, plant diversity, and systematics. Her research has focused on plant evolution, especially hybridization, invasive species, and rare taxa. She has authored and coauthored dozens of peer-reviewed scientific articles appearing in journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, American Journal of Botany, and Molecular Ecology.