Botany, geology and the natural sciences were Christopher Davidson’s life. After Christopher’s death in 2022, his wife, Sharon Christoph, per his decision, offered the Dr. Christopher Davidson Endowed Chair of Botany at Boise State University.
“We hope that Boise State will use this position to advance botanical sciences and an appreciation of nature,” Sharon said.
Over his long career, Christopher’s passion for botany drew him to edit botanical journals, start the Idaho Botanical Garden in the early 1980s, and take responsibility for Charlie’s Garden in McCall, Idaho, after the passing of his mother. Charlie’s Garden has been maintained by his family since the 1940s. He provided mentorship and support for many people and organizations around the planet. At the time of his passing, he was president of The Botanical Research Foundation of Idaho LLC.
He and Sharon traveled to more than 45 countries documenting the 430 +/- flowering plant families of the world with digital images and herbarium specimens. Whenever available, a number of herbarium specimens were sent to the Boise State University herbarium. With the assistance of technical wizards, Christopher created and maintained the website and database floraoftheworld.org, open to the public. As a confirmed bibliophile, he accumulated a sizable natural history library, including rare botanical texts. Together, he and Sharon served on the College of Arts and Sciences advisory committee and the Center for the Visual Arts committee.
Dr. Davidson’s daughter, Sara Davidson, studied vocal music at Boise State University.
Associate Professor Sven Buerki has been selected as the first Davidson Endowed Chair of Botany at Boise State. Prior to joining Boise State in 2017, Buerki was a researcher at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the United Kingdom, collecting and describing plants — including one family, four genera, and 33 species — with a specific emphasis on biodiversity hotspots. The experience fueled his research, which seeks to uncover how past climate changes have influenced the evolution and global distribution of flowering plants; and connected him with Sharon Christoph and Christopher Davidson, with whom he collaborated on fieldwork expeditions in Borneo, Fiji and New Caledonia.
“I’m honored to have been selected as the first Dr. Christopher Davidson Chair of Botany. Dr. Davidson spent his life traveling the world, making discoveries, and advancing knowledge, and I’m grateful to have worked directly with he and Sharon. Through the chair endowed in his name, I hope to do the same, exciting students’ passion for botany.”
The College of Arts and Sciences, which includes the Department of Biological Sciences, is Boise State’s largest college. Its dean, Dr. Leslie Durham, lauded the endowment of the chair and Buerki’s new position.
“Endowing the Dr. Christopher Davidson Endowed Chair of Botany is a huge win for the College of Arts and Sciences, and for Boise State University,” she said. “Endowed faculty positions are a pillar of Unbridled: The Campaign for Boise State for a reason: They improve the student experience, elevate our instructors and researchers, and create opportunities for the whole Boise State Community.”