Ilya Raskin, Ph. D.
Ilya Raskin learned photography from my parents while growing up in Russia. Now he is a professor of biology at Rutgers University and president of the Global Institute for BioExploration (GIBEX). His work enables me to travel to many remote locations and help local communities conserve biodiversity, preserve traditional knowledge, and improve health and quality of life. His camera allows me to share these places with the world.
Dr. Raskin's major passion is nature and wildlife photography, but often his search for beauty, color, composition and emotions is in urban settings and in people's faces. Ilya's professional interests in biology and ecology enable him to locate subjects and find the best moment to capture the shot, and long-time interests in art and art history help him to compose interesting scenes. His focus on nature is driven by the desire to preserve the memory of its rapidly disappearing wild splendor. He is grateful and honored that major magazines regularly publish his photographs and that people hang them on their walls. All profits from the sale of my photography are donated to GIBEX to support global conservation and sustainable utilization of natural resources.
Ilya Raskin, Ph.D. has over 25 years of experience in academic research in plant biology, phytochemistry and pharmacology and 5 years of experience in industrial research in plant biotechnology at DuPont Co. Dr. Raskin received a Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 1984 and joined the faculty of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in 1989 where he currently works as Professor II and President of the Global Institute for Bio-Exploration (GIBEX). Dr. Raskin is also a member of the NIH Center for Botanicals and Metabolic Syndrome and a founder of three biotechnology companies. Dr. Raskin earned an international reputation through his work on plant growth regulation, plant immunity to diseases, and for his research in plant-derived functional foods and medicines. He is also actively involved in international bioexploration and conservation. Dr. Raskin’s research is featured in over 180 scientific publications and in numerous popular press articles. He has been listed as one of 108 most cited researchers in Plant and Animal Science (Institute of Scientific Information). Among his most cited scientific publications are four cover articles in Science and Nature. Dr. Raskin was awarded 20 patents covering the discoveries made in his laboratory. Dr. Raskin has received a number of prestigious awards, including the Albert Shull Award for outstanding contributions to plant biology and the Thomas Alva Edison Patent Awards for revolutionary product innovation and scientific breakthrough. Dr. Raskin was named the Century Innovator in Botany by the U.S. News & World Report.
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