The professor of biology will share his research journey, scholarship experiences and the lessons he learned from them that helped his academic growth at Elon.
Brant Touchette, professor of biology, will deliver the Distinguished Scholar Lecture on Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. in LaRose Student Commons.
Touchette earned the Distinguished Scholar Award, Elon’s top faculty research award, in Spring 2025, acknowledging the “scope, impact and continuity” of his scholarship. In his Distinguished Scholar Lecture, Touchette will share the main themes from his research findings and the vital role of collaboration with both colleagues and students that have helped shape his research career.
His recommendations for the Distinguished Scholar Award came from colleagues at institutions across North Carolina, including North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Over more than two decades, Touchette has developed a research program that bridges fieldwork, laboratory science, and environmental policy—exploring how plant communities respond to stressors like drought, pollution, salinity, and climate change. His work has not only advanced ecological science, but also shaped conservation practices and mentored a generation of student researchers. He will share insights from this rich body of scholarship and discuss how the study of aquatic and wetland plants can inform broader environmental resilience in a changing world.
Touchette, who joined Elon’s faculty in 2001, has authored or coauthored 33 peer-reviewed scientific journal publications, 10 book chapters and proceedings, 20 technical reports, along with more than 75 professional presentations, seminars and guest lectures. Of these presentations, 23 included published abstracts at regional, national and international conferences. He has also received 20 external research grants and contracts, along with 14 education grants.