Deborah Rabinowitz

Deborah Rabinowitz (September 9, 1947 — August 18, 1987) was an ecologist who coined the seven meanings of rarity in the field of plant ecology. She was a professor in the Section of Ecology and Systematics at Cornell University.

Early life and education Rabinowitz was born and raised in Willimantic, Connecticut, to Louis and Margaret Rabinowitz. She attended public schools and later received her undergraduate degree in biology from New College of Florida in Sarasota. In 1975, she received her Ph.D. in theoretical population biology from the University of Chicago. Her most notable discovery was that ‘frequent type rarity’ is the class of sparse species with largest geographical range. Deborah took interest in international politics and was active in political demonstrations.