Volume 4 - Plant Structure and Function (Biology: the Unity & Diversity of Life)

Ralph Taggart, Former Chair of Biological Sciences at Michigan State University, Ralph Taggert is now the chair of Geological Sciences. Professor Taggart, known for his outstanding research in Paleobotany, has taught the general biology course for over 20 years.

Christine Evers has been providing tools for biology education for more than 20 years. Before becoming a textbook author, she provided content for Genentech’s Access Excellence website and developed digital course materials for a variety of publishers. She received her undergraduate education at SUNY Stony Brook and did graduate work at Yale University.

For decades, Cecie Starr has been known as one of the best-selling biology textbook authors. Her texts, appreciated for their clarity in both the written word and the visual representation of biological concepts, include multiple editions of BIOLOGY: THE UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF LIFE, BIOLOGY: CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS, and BIOLOGY TODAY AND TOMORROW. Her original dream was to become an architect. Instead of building houses, she now builds, with care and attention to detail, texts based on this philosophy: I invite students into a chapter through an intriguing story. Once inside, they get the great windows that biologists construct on the world of life. Biology is not just another house. It is a conceptual mansion. I hope to do it justice.""

Lisa Starr has been creating incredible art for the Starr biology textbooks since 1997 and began authoring the books in 2004. She has a passion for all things science, and particularly enjoys parsing complex scientific concepts into written and visual content that engages nonscientists. She has an education in chemistry and biochemistry and an extensive background in molecular biology-based research in both academic and industrial settings.