Meet Ari Novy | Plant Scientist & Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ari Novy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ari, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in Michigan, but grew up in New Jersey. I lived with my grandparents, who were florists, until I was 9. My grandfather and I grew a vegetable garden every year and I helped in the flower shop. When I was 22, I started volunteering at a garden in my spare time and it instantly clicked. I didn’t realize that I could have a career doing the very activities I’d most enjoyed as a child. Fast forward another 20 years and I have a PhD in Plant Biology and run the San Diego Botanic Garden.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think the secret to my success has been a willingness to go both wide and deep. I did my PhD in plant biology focusing narrowly on plant genetics. That was technical work…very exciting, challenging and cutting edge. But I wanted to understand more about how society makes decisions about how much money to spend on public research and how to build institutions. I ended up also studying agricultural economics, governance and institutional management. I loved all these topics and I found out later that this mix of expertise was highly desirable by employers. It was certainly hard to juggle balls that didn’t always seem to relate to one another, but ultimately it allowed me to make connections across disciples that were deeply exciting. I’ve learned that when we keep lots of balls in the air, it’s ok to drop one now and again. You just need to pick it back up and start juggling again until it gets easier. Challenging yourself and practicing cannot be undervalued.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite thing about San Diego county is it’s breath and diversity. I’d start at the San Diego Botanic Garden to show off our amazing flora. But then I’d take my guest to every biome in the County. We’d start with the coast at Torrey Pines. Then we’d head inland to the agriculture and rugged hills around Valley Center. Then we’d cross the hills at Julian to Anza-Borrego and finish in the Otay Mountains. Ideally, we’d spend a full day in each place, taking in the sights of nature and the local community. After that, we’d do three days of cultural attractions. We’d need a full day in Balboa Park and then another day around San Diego Bay. The last stop might have to be Tacos El Gordo in Chula Vista.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been intensely fortunate to have had excellent mentors throughout my career. The head gardener in my first landscape job encouraged me to think about the science of horticulture. My advisors in graduate school opened my mind and so many doors. And senior leader in my field have always been kind and giving of their expertise. I have so many to thank. When I asked one of my great mentors, Dr. Peter Smouse of Rutgers University, how I could ever repay all his kindness and guidance, he replied, “You have to pay it forward.”

Website: SDBGarden.org
Instagram: @arinovy
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arinovy
Twitter: @arinovy