Thomas E. Lovejoy – In Memoriam

It is with great sadness that we share the news of Dr. Tom Lovejoy’s passing on December 25, 2021. Dr. Lovejoy was a Distinguished University Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, the founding Scientific Director of the Institute for a Sustainable Earth, and a mentor and friend to countless graduate students, researchers, and faculty colleagues.

He joined Mason in 2010 after a long and distinguished career as a pathbreaking conservation biologist at the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, the Smithsonian, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the UN Foundation.

Lauded for having introduced the concept of “biological diversity” to the world, Lovejoy’s outsized contributions to science and policy stem from his commitment to deeply understanding the Amazon Rainforest, where he began conducting field research in 1965. In the 1970s Tom collaborated with Brazilian colleagues to establish the longest-running large scale experiment on earth investigating the ecosystemic dynamics of habitat fragmentation. This project has helped train thousands of biologists throughout the world, and has revealed a stark truth that preoccupied Tom toward the end of his life: the Amazon is approaching a tipping point where deforestation and anthropogenic climate change are driving unprecedented species loss and habitat destruction. A tireless advocate for sustainable development, Dr. Lovejoy believed that conservation also entailed advocacy for Indigenous rights and a broader public awareness of the immense value of the services provided by our environment. His leadership opened the way for many policy innovations with global reach, including debt-for-nature swaps and multilateral efforts to understand and preserve Amazonian biomes.

Recipient of countless honors, Dr. Lovejoy was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences earlier this year. He was also awarded the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (2001), the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award (2008), and the Blue Planet Prize (2012) for his contributions to conservation biology and public advocacy to preserve the planet’s biodiversity. Tom also served as US Science Envoy for the State Department and in a variety of other public posts during the Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Obama administrations.

His life and deeds serve as a model for blending scientific excellence with public service, an inspiring legacy that Dr. Tom Lovejoy leaves for us all. ISE will miss his steadfast leadership, but we will carry his vision forward in stewardship of that legacy.

Learn more about his life and work:
Tribute from George Mason University
Tribute from the College of Science
Tribute from the Department of Environmental Science and Policy
Tribute from The Washington Post


Photos provided by the Lovejoy family.