Pam Soltis has played a major role in reconstructing the plant branch of the tree of life and relaying this information to the scientific community and the public. Her research interests are in plant biodiversity, emphasizing angiosperm phylogeny, polyploidy, the evolution of the flower, conservation genetics of rare plant species and phylogeography. She joined the University of Florida faculty in 2001 after teaching at Washington State, where with Doug Soltis she investigated genome doubling. Soltis has served as president of the Society of Systematic Biologists and the Botanical Society of America and as an associate editor for ten journals, including Evolution and Systematic Biology. She participates in public outreach through the Gainesville public schools and the Florida Museum of Natural History, where she is featured in an ongoing exhibit, “Botanical Chords,” with artist Terry Ashley.