Anne Bowser

Anne Bowser is the Chief Executive Officer of NatureServe, a nonprofit organization focused on biodiversity conservation.12 Throughout her career, she has dedicated herself to leveraging science and technology for environmental and social good.1

Professional Background

Prior to her role at NatureServe, Anne served as the Director of Innovation at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. There, she focused on innovative science policy approaches such as open science, citizen science, and open data.1

Anne has a strong background in research and program management, specializing in areas like biodiversity data, citizen science, and research ethics. Her experience spans both academia and industry, having worked for organizations including NatureServe, The Wilson Center, Microsoft, and eBay.3

Education and Research

Anne holds a Ph.D. in Information Studies from the University of Maryland.3 Her academic work has focused on biodiversity and citizen science:

• As a Masters student, she used Social Network Analysis to study major research institutions sharing biodiversity data.
• Her Ph.D. research explored the design of Floracaching, a gamified mobile app for plant phenology data collection, to motivate new citizen science volunteers.1

Role at NatureServe

As Chief Executive Officer at NatureServe, Anne leads the organization's programmatic work across Science and Technology divisions, overseeing a team of over 40 staff members.4 She is responsible for guiding NatureServe's mission to leverage science, data, and technology for biodiversity conservation and stewardship.2

Anne is also involved in nonprofit leadership beyond her role at NatureServe. She was an early board member and Treasurer of the Citizen Science Association (CSA).1