Education

  • PhD (Botany), University of Cape Town – 1989
  • MSc (Botany) with distinction, University of Cape Town – 1985
  • BSc (Forestry) (Majors: Forest Science, Nature Conservation), University of Stellenbosch – 1981

Professional Expierence

  • 2005 – present: Centre for Invasion Biology, University of Stellenbosch , South Africa [current position: Professor of Ecology and Director]
  • 1992 – 2004: Leslie Hill Institute for Plant Conservation, University of Cape Town , South Africa [Associate Professor and Deputy Director]
  • 1990 – 1992: CSIR Division of Forest Science and Technology, Stellenbosch , South Africa
  • 1981 – 1989: South African Forestry Research Institute, Stellenbosch , South Africa

Other professional activities (editorial, working groups, etc)

  • Editor-in-Chief: Diversity and Distributions (A journal of conservation biogeography)
  • Editorial boards: (recent & current)
    • Biological Invasions (Associate Editor: 1998-present)
    • Ecologia Mediterranea (International Journal of Mediterranean Ecology, France; 1998-present)
    • Journal of Biogeography (Deputy Editor: 1997-2004)
    • Global Ecology and Biogeography (Deputy Editor: 1997-1999; Editorial Board: 2000-2005)
    • Journal of Mediterranean Ecology (2000-2004)
  • Visiting Professor, Department of Organismic Biology, Ecology and Evolution, University of California , Los Angeles (UCLA)(2001-2002)
  • Member, IUCN Species Survival Specialist Groups on Invasive Organisms (1996-) and Conifers (1999-)
  • Member, Advisory Committee, Invasive Plant Atlas for New England (IPANE; 2002-)
  • Member, Ecology Review Panel, Working for Water programme (1998 – 2004)
  • Member, Task Team responsible for formulation of regulations and risk assessment framework relating to invasive species for the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) (2005-2006)