As Public Programs Manager, Dr. Ari Novy is responsible for leading, planning, and developing programs that fulfill the USBG's scientific, horticultural, educational, environmental, and curatorial missions. Ari is a plant biologist who brings a wide range of expertise in plant science and education to the USBG. He started his career in student support services with New York University in 2000. He then worked as an estate gardener in Italy, researched sustainable agriculture in the Philippines, and served as an environmental consultant on infrastructure projects in the northeastern United States. In 2006, Ari began working as a Graduate Research Fellow at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where he conducted research on plant population genetics, invasive species, plant conservation, horticultural improvement, agronomic risk assessment, beekeeping management, plant evolution and agricultural economics and policy. While at Rutgers, Ari taught undergraduate and graduate courses on a variety of plant science and horticultural topics, winning several awards for research, teaching and outreach excellence.
Ari was born in Michigan but grew up in New Jersey. He completed a BA at New York University in 2000 and a PhD at Rutgers University in 2012. He currently lives in Arlington, VA.