Dennis Edm Desjardin

Dennis Edmund Desjardin (born May 18, 1950, in Crescent City, California) is an American mycologist. He has been called the "Mushroom Guru of the West Coast".

Biography Desjardin attended San Jose State University but dropped out to play jazz professionally. A decade later he sought a more stable career.

After completing his Ph.D., Desjardin was from 1989 to 1990 an assistant professor at Oberlin College. At San Francisco State University, he was an assistant professor from 1990 to 1993, an associate professor from 1993 to 1997, and a full professor from 1997 until his retirement as professor emeritus. In 1991 he was appointed the director of SFSU's Harry D. Thiers Herbarium.

Desjardin is the author or coauthor of more than 150 scientific publications. He collaborated with teams of colleagues to elucidate the molecular phylogenetics of porcini mushrooms and species belonging to the agaric family. He is credited as the discoverer or co-discoverer of more than 300 fungal species, Supported by eight National Science Foundation grants, he has participated in mycology fieldwork in the southeastern and western U.S.A. including the Rocky Mountains, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Switzerland, Java, Bali, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Pohnpei, the Hawaiian Islands, the Philippines, São Tomé, and Príncipe.

He served as an associate editor for Fungal Diversity and Mycologia. He was elected in 1995 a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences and in 2005 a Fellow of the Mycological Society of America.

Dennis Desjardin married Wipapat Kladwang, Ph.D. They have a son, Spenser L. Desjardin.