2026 Distinguished Ethnobiologist: Dr. Robert A. Bye Jr.
It is with great pleasure that we announce the 2026 Distinguished Ethnobiologist is Dr. Robert A. Bye Jr. As described by his colleagues in his nomination letter, Bob has been a part of the society and its meetings from the beginning. He has served on the Journal of Ethnobiology editorial board, the Board of Trustees, and hosted the SoE's first bilingual, international conference in Mexico.
Dr. Bye completed his B.S. in Forestry at Syracuse University and Doctorate at Harvard in biology. Before joining the Jardin Botánico del Instituto de Biología of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1981, he was a tenured Professor of Biology at the University of Colorado in the US. He has published over 165 peer-reviewed articles and 130 articles for public dissemination, as well as more than 90 book chapters, memoirs, books, and videos, and received numerous awards and distinctions.
As a student of Richard Evans Schultes, the so-called father of ethnobotany, Bob has championed the ethnobotany of the Sierra Tarahumara/Rarámuri Indigenous Peoples but also written of the botanical knowledge of the Southern Paiute, Zuni, and the Yuman Peoples of Northern Mexico to name a few. He, and his life and research partner Edelmira, along with many colleagues, have produced an amazing amount of field data and publications from this research while also always crediting their Indigenous collaborators. Bob’s decades of research among the Rarámuri are especially notable in that it reflects the fundamental spirit of ethnobiology. It is fully integrative of biology with ethnography. His decades of intensive research allows a diachronic examination of ethnobiology beyond a simple slice-in-time framework. This is especially important because the Rarámuri are experiencing dramatic changes, much like most indigenous communities throughout the world.
Please join us at the Annual Meeting in Sewanne to celebrate Bob’s distinguished career and long commitment to the Society of Ethnobiology!