Murphy Westwood, PhD

As Vice President of Science and Conservation, Murphy Westwood works to strengthen the Arboretum’s leadership activities in tree science and conservation.

Murphy supports the Arboretum’s service to the public to improve the health of the urban forest in the Chicago region, protect threatened tree species around the globe, facilitate technology transfer to industry and the public, and provide professional leadership to the world’s arboreta. She is also responsible for planning, strategic direction, program integration, fundraising, and external relations for Science and Conservation at the Arboretum.

Murphy oversees numerous key programs and initiatives, including:

Scientific research through the Center for Tree Science
Improving the health of the urban and community forest of the Chicago region through the Chicago Region Trees Initiative
Building collaborations, strategizing, and protecting threatened tree species through the Global Tree Conservation Program
Supporting professional development and collaboration among arboreta nationally and worldwide through ArbNet

In addition to her leadership position at the Arboretum, Murphy continues to work closely with colleagues from botanical gardens, universities, and other sectors in strategic locations like Mexico, Central America, Europe, China, and Southeast Asia—as well as throughout the United States—to develop conservation projects that advance the understand of trees and forests and save trees from extinction.

Murphy has an extensive background in plant biology, evolution, and conservation, having worked in botanical gardens and universities in Europe and America for more than twenty years.

She has published numerous articles on plant conservation, evolution, morphological development, and systematics and presented her research and program initiatives to a diverse range of audiences at dozens of conferences, symposia, workshops, and seminars in more than twelve countries. She has also taught more than 400 hours of undergraduate plant science, ecology, and evolution courses and mentored many students as they pursued science-related degrees.

After joining the Arboretum in 2013 as a Tree Conservation Specialist, Murphy played a crucial role in founding the Global Tree Conservation Project (GTCP) in 2014, developing its mission and strategy and building its team of researchers. In 2017, she was named Director of the GTCP.

In April 2021, Murphy was appointed Vice President of Science and Conservation at the Arboretum.

Projects (20)

Global Conservation Consortium for Oak (GCCO)

The GCCO is a network of coordinated institutions aimed at preventing extinctions and ensuring healthy oak populations for the future.

IUCN Red List Threat Assessments for Priority Tree Species: Determining the Threat of Extinction for Tree Species Globally

The IUCN is the globally recognized and standardized system for assessing the threat of extinction for the world’s plant, animal, and fungal species.

Tree Conservation Initiatives and Collaborations in Latin America

The Morton Arboretum collaborates with partners from multiple sectors in Latin America to research and protect threatened tree species and to advance tree conservation across the region.

ArbNet: The Global Interactive Community of Arboreta

ArbNet strengthens professionalism and collaboration among the world’s arboreta and tree-focused professionals to advance the planting, care, and conservation of trees.

Tree Conservation Initiatives and Collaborations in Asia

The Arboretum’s collaborations in Asia generate knowledge to inform threatened tree species protection and to build capacity for tree conservation throughout the region.

Assessing the Sustainability and Conservation Potential of Wild-Harvested Tree Species

Many beloved products come from trees, but are they harvested sustainably?

The Benefits of Trees

The overwhelming evidence from the scientific literature suggests that investing in trees is an investment in a better world.

Conservation Recommendations for Trees Under Threat

In an effort to preserve wild populations of at-risk trees and increase the conservation quality of botanical collections, this study examined conservation planning methods.

Conservation Value in Four Genera at The Morton Arboretum

The team is calculating the conservation value, according to different goals, of four genera collections at The Morton Arboretum (lindens, crabapples, oaks, and elms) and developing plans to manage that value in the future.

Safeguarding Plant Collections by Comparing Ex Situ and Wild Populations

This project is to quantify how many individuals need to be kept in botanic garden collections to best preserve genetic variation, using case studies across the tree of life, including many threatened oak species, which will provide advice for future seed collections.

Oaks of the Americas Conservation Network

By linking science to practice, effective conservation of oak diversity can be achieved.

Paperbark Maple Genetic Diversity

Living collections are important repositories of biodiversity. Understanding the history of domestication of the paperbark maple, which is endangered in its native habitat in China, can help us better conserve the species through targeted collection.

Preservation of Seed in Living Collections of Quercus havardii, a Western Sand Dune Oak

This project team collected acorns from across the range of Quercus havardii and distributed them to partner gardens to grow, research, and showcase this unique oak to the public.

Quantifying the Conservation Value of Living Collections

This project seeks to assess whether important seed and living collections have sufficiently sampled the wild diversity of tree species in need of protection.

Integrated Conservation of the Arroyo Oak in the Cabo Region, Mexico

In this project, the Arboretum is working with scientists, land managers and local stakeholders to develop and execute a scientifically-informed, conservation and management plan to save the endangered oak Quercus brandegeei from the brink of extinction.

Conservation Gap Analysis of Native U.S. Oaks

Prioritizing species and conservation actions for native U.S. oaks through in-depth analyses of species distributions, threats, representation in botanic gardens, and ongoing conservation actions.

Conservation Gap Analysis of U.S. Trees in Nine Priority Genera

This project assessed conservation needs for important native U.S. trees by analyzing pest and disease and climate change vulnerability, wild-collected germplasm in botanic gardens and seed banks, and current conservation actions.

Providing Leadership for Tree Conservation

A cornerstone of the Global Tree Conservation Program is to support and advocate for tree-focused conservation organizations worldwide.

Checklist and Threat Assessments of Tree Species Native to the Contiguous United States

A cornerstone of the Global Tree Conservation Program is to support and advocate for tree-focused conservation organizations worldwide.

Center for Species Survival: Trees

Through a partnership with the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, The Morton Arboretum has established a hub for coordinated action to conserve tree species around the world.

As Vice President of Science and Conservation, Murphy Westwood works to strengthen the Arboretum’s leadership activities in tree science and conservation.

Media Articles

Oaks in Trouble

Oaks Under Threat in North America

Local Tree Experts Talk UN Report On Declining Biodiversity

Why You Should Care that Tree Species are Going Extinct

The Three Rarest Trees: Preserving Biodiversity with Seed Banks

Projects (20)

Global Conservation Consortium for Oak (GCCO)

IUCN Red List Threat Assessments for Priority Tree Species: Determining the Threat of Extinction for Tree Species Globally

Tree Conservation Initiatives and Collaborations in Latin America

ArbNet: The Global Interactive Community of Arboreta

Tree Conservation Initiatives and Collaborations in Asia

Assessing the Sustainability and Conservation Potential of Wild-Harvested Tree Species

The Benefits of Trees

Conservation Recommendations for Trees Under Threat

Conservation Value in Four Genera at The Morton Arboretum

Safeguarding Plant Collections by Comparing Ex Situ and Wild Populations

Oaks of the Americas Conservation Network

Paperbark Maple Genetic Diversity

Preservation of Seed in Living Collections of Quercus havardii, a Western Sand Dune Oak

Quantifying the Conservation Value of Living Collections

Integrated Conservation of the Arroyo Oak in the Cabo Region, Mexico

Conservation Gap Analysis of Native U.S. Oaks

Conservation Gap Analysis of U.S. Trees in Nine Priority Genera

Providing Leadership for Tree Conservation

Checklist and Threat Assessments of Tree Species Native to the Contiguous United States

Center for Species Survival: Trees

Explore More

Silvia Alvarez-Clare, PhD

Tricia Bethke, MS

Christine E. Carrier, MS

Michelle N. Catania, MS

Content Detail

As Vice President of Science and Conservation, Murphy Westwood works to strengthen the Arboretum’s leadership activities in tree science and conservation.

Media Articles

Oaks in Trouble

Oaks Under Threat in North America

Local Tree Experts Talk UN Report On Declining Biodiversity

Why You Should Care that Tree Species are Going Extinct

The Three Rarest Trees: Preserving Biodiversity with Seed Banks

Projects (20)

Global Conservation Consortium for Oak (GCCO)

IUCN Red List Threat Assessments for Priority Tree Species: Determining the Threat of Extinction for Tree Species Globally

Tree Conservation Initiatives and Collaborations in Latin America

ArbNet: The Global Interactive Community of Arboreta

Tree Conservation Initiatives and Collaborations in Asia

Assessing the Sustainability and Conservation Potential of Wild-Harvested Tree Species

The Benefits of Trees

Conservation Recommendations for Trees Under Threat

Conservation Value in Four Genera at The Morton Arboretum

Safeguarding Plant Collections by Comparing Ex Situ and Wild Populations

Oaks of the Americas Conservation Network

Paperbark Maple Genetic Diversity

Preservation of Seed in Living Collections of Quercus havardii, a Western Sand Dune Oak

Quantifying the Conservation Value of Living Collections

Integrated Conservation of the Arroyo Oak in the Cabo Region, Mexico

Conservation Gap Analysis of Native U.S. Oaks

Conservation Gap Analysis of U.S. Trees in Nine Priority Genera

Providing Leadership for Tree Conservation

Checklist and Threat Assessments of Tree Species Native to the Contiguous United States

Center for Species Survival: Trees

Explore More

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Silvia Alvarez-Clare, PhD

Tricia Bethke, MS

Christine E. Carrier, MS

Michelle N. Catania, MS