William R. Graves
Woody plants that may have potential for use in horticulture are the focus of Bill’s research. His ecological studies involve field research throughout North America, as well as physiological experiments conducted in greenhouses and laboratories. Bill also leads a project to develop improved horticultural bioplastics, He is an author on over 100 refereed publications and has co-authored one book. His graduate students major in horticulture and/or ecology and evolutionary biology and have gone on to productive careers in industry and academia. Bill teaches an undergraduate class on the identification and horticultural use of trees, shrubs, and woody vines. He also contributes to a cross- disciplinary graduate course on preparing thesis and dissertation chapters that are publishable in refereed journals. Bill periodically mentors students in independent-study courses. Most recently, he led a team of undergraduate students who studied a group of historical trees on Iowa State’s campus that were threatened by a flood-mitigation project. The students’ efforts contributed to a resolution that allowed the trees to be saved.