The Fascinating World of Fungi
Date and Time
Free Hybrid Lecture
Speaker: David S. Hibbett, Professor of Biology, Clark University
From mushroom tattoos and T-shirt graphics to fungal-infused coffee, gummies, and nutritional supplements promising physical and spiritual well-being, fungi are having a cultural moment. Despite their growing popularity, fungi remain mysterious and misunderstood. Drawing from his new book, The Complete Fungi: Evolution, Diversity and Ecology (Princeton University Press, 2026), David Hibbett will discuss the diversity of fungi, their impacts on human affairs, and their roles in the evolution of life on Earth.
If you have ever wondered, “What is a fungus?” or “Why are there so many kinds of mushrooms?” this lecture is for you. No prior knowledge or experience in mycology is required—just curiosity about the fascinating world of fungi.
Copies of The Complete Fungi will be available for purchase after the program.
Supported by the Herman and Joan Suit Lecture Fund.
Advance registration recommended for online and in-person attendance.
Free event parking is available with registration. Parking will be available starting at 5pm at the 52 Oxford Street Garage. Register by September 30 to receive parking registration instructions.
About the Speaker
David S. Hibbett is the Andrea B. and Peter D. Klein ’64 Distinguished Professor of Biology at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. David grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts, where he developed an early love of nature, swimming, and fishing in Spy Pond. He received a BS in botany from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a PhD in botany from Duke University. David held postdoctoral fellowships at the Tottori Mycological Institute (Japan) and the Harvard University Herbaria. His scholarship focuses on the evolutionary biology of fungi, particularly mushroom-forming fungi. His work uses techniques of molecular evolution, genomics, developmental biology, and paleomycology. David is a fellow of the Mycological Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a former fellow of the Radcliffe Institute of Harvard University, and an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He served as president of the Mycological Society of America and is active in outreach to the mycophile community. The Complete Fungi is his first book.