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• Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Arinovy (talk) 06:44, 23 December 2025 (UTC)

Ari Novy is an American plant biologist, educator, and public garden executive. He is President and Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas, California. Novy has held senior leadership roles at major botanical institutions, contributed to peer-reviewed research in plant biology and conservation, and has participated in science communication and advisory work for film and mass media.

Novy was born in Michigan and grew up in New Jersey. He developed an early interest in plants through gardening with family members and work connected to horticulture.^[1]

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University. After initially working in student support and education, he shifted his professional focus toward plant science.^[2]

Novy completed a Ph.D. in Plant Biology at Rutgers University, where his research addressed plant population genetics, conservation biology, invasive species ecology, and horticultural systems.^[3]

Following his undergraduate studies, Novy worked as an estate gardener in Italy and conducted sustainable agriculture research in the Philippines. He later worked as an environmental consultant in the northeastern United States before entering public garden administration.^[4]

Novy joined the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., where he served in several leadership roles, including Public Programs Manager, Deputy Executive Director, and Executive Director.^[5]

During his tenure, he was involved in national plant conservation initiatives, public education programs, and institutional outreach efforts.^[6]

Novy was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego Botanic Garden in 2018.^[7]

Under his leadership, the Garden expanded its science and conservation programs, strengthened community engagement, and advanced research and education infrastructure.^[8]

Novy has authored and co-authored peer-reviewed scientific publications in journals including American Journal of Botany, Wetlands, and Invasive Plant Science and Management. His research has focused on invasive species genetics, conservation biology, and plant population structure.^[9][10]

He has served on panels and advisory groups for organizations including the White House Council on Environmental Quality and Botanic Gardens Conservation International.^[11]

Novy is a founding co-chair of the Food and Agriculture Professional Section of the American Public Gardens Association and has held an adjunct academic appointment at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.^[12]

Novy’s work and public commentary on plant science, ethics, and humanity’s relationship with the natural world have influenced contemporary science-fiction cinema. Director Sophie Barthes has stated that conversations with Novy helped inspire aspects of the character Alvy Novy, a botanist portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor in the film The Pod Generation (2023). Barthes explained that she met Novy at a conference and drew on his perspectives when developing the character’s worldview and professional background in a technologically mediated future.^[13]

Barthes has further described the character as reflecting real-world scientists engaged in questions of ecology, technology, and human values, noting that Novy’s thinking about plants and human connection to nature informed the character’s sensibilities.^[14]

Novy received the C.T. Kissel Environmental Studies Scholarship from the Garden Club of America in 2007 and was later named an honorary member of the organization.^[15]