Four Linnean Society Fellows Elected to Royal Society
Four of the Linnean Society’s Fellows have been elected to the Royal Society in their 2026 intake.
Published on 18th June 2026
Professors Lars Chittka, Beverley Glover, Stuart West and Kathy Willis have a long history of work with the Linnean Society, as speakers, trustees and contributors.
Our CEO, Professor Gail Cardew said of the announcement: “Congratulations to Lars, Beverley, Stuart and Kathy on their Royal Society Fellowships. They have all contributed a great deal to the Linnean Society in different ways and we hope their election helps to cement the relationships between our organisations. As well as being very pleased for our Fellows, it is also heartening to see the field of natural history being valued through these elections.”
Professor Lars Chittka
Lars is Professor of Sensory and Behavioural Ecology at Queen Mary University of London. His research focuses on the behaviour, cognition and ecology of bumblebees and honeybees, and their interactions with flowers, studying both insect learning and flower advertising. As well as advancing our understanding of colour vision, he has also contributed to models of animal cognition. He has undertaken a wide range of public engagement activity, including art and music projects and books. One of these books formed the basis of his 2022 talk for the Linnean Society on The Mind of a Bee.
Professor Beverley Glover
Beverley is Professor of Plant Systematics and Evolution in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge and director of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Her research focuses on the evolution and development of floral features that attract pollinating animals, which she approaches in an integrative way, combining different scientific approaches. Beverley was awarded the Linnean Society’s 2010 Bicentenary Award, in recognition of her leadership in taking a broad and collaborative approach to her research.
Professor Stuart West
Stuart has been Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Oxford since 2009. He is an evolutionary biologist interested in adaptation, evolution of social behaviours, and how these can influence evolutionary transitions. Alongside over 300 published works, he has published three books. Until May 2026, Stuart served as a Trustee of the Linnean Society, chairing the Publishing Committee and supporting the Editors-in-Chief and Journals team as they established the Editorial Office and embedded the Evolutionary Journal in the Linnean Society portfolio.
Kathy Willis
Kathy is Professor of Biodiversity in the Department of Biology and the Principal of St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. She is also a Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords, and 2018, was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Her research focuses on how plant diversity responds to the environment, ecosystem functions and the interaction between biodiversity and human health. She has led and contributed to a range of science programmes, as well as publishing books on plant evolution and nature and health. She recently served as a Trustee of the Linnean Society.
