Paula DePriest
Image of Paula DePriest
Professional Experience
Deputy Director, Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute
Directs and oversees initiatives in museum conservation and partners with Mongolian and international teams to protect archaeological, cultural heritage, and ecological resources across Mongolia.
Scientific Advisor, Office of the Under Secretary for Science, Smithsonian Institution
Research Scientist and Curator of the Lichen Collection, Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History
Academic & Leadership Experience
Adjunct Professor, Duke University (1997–2004) and George Mason University (1998–2004)
Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2002)
Chair, Smithsonian Congress of Scholars (2001–2002)
Chair, National Museum of Natural History Senate of Scientists (1999)
Board Member, Mongolia Society and the American Center for Mongolian Studies
Member, Smithsonian Institution’s multi-disciplinary American-Mongolian Deer Stone Project
Research, Fieldwork & Publications
Specializes in biological research focusing on lichens (lichen-forming fungi), with a specific emphasis on reindeer lichens in the herding regions of Mongolia.
Conducts conservation research on the fungal and lichen biodeterioration of outdoor monuments.
Executed extensive fieldwork across Mongolia, Europe, Scandinavia, Central and South America, and the Southeastern United States/Southern Appalachians.
Published over 90 professional papers, with research featured in various academic journals and newspapers.
Education
PhD in Botany, Duke University
MS in Botany, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
BS in Biology, Union University, Jackson, TN
Preserving Mongolian Culture at the Edge of the Arctic
Worship of spirits in the Darkhat Valley, Northwest Mongolia. Part VII
