Paula Teresa DePriest

Paula DePriest is an American lichenologist and specialist in artifact conservation. She has been curator of the lichen collection at the National Museum of Natural History, USA and deputy director of the Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute.

Early life and education Paula Teresa DePriest studied at Union University, completing her bachelor's degree in 1978 and then moved to the University of Tennessee for a master's degree in botany in 1983. She undertook doctoral research at Duke University and was awarded PhD in 1992. Her work has identified or clarified the status of several lichens, including Flavoparmelia leucoxantha, Hypotrachyna quaesita, Punctelia dictyoidea and Punctelia roystoneae.

The lichen Bacidia depriestiana was named in her honor in 2019.

Publications DePriest is the author or co-author of over 90 scientific publications and book chapters. The most significant include: Weaver, Jamie L., DePriest, Paula T., Plymale, Andrew E., Pearce, Carolyn I., Arey, Bruce, and Koestler, Robert J. 2021. Microbial interactions with silicate glasses. npj Materials Degradation 5:Article 11. DePriest, Paula T., Fitxzhugh, William W., Beaubien, Harriet F., and Bayarsaikhan, Jamsranjav. 2014. Research and Preservation of Mongolia's Cultural Heritage. Arctic Studies Center Newsletter (21): 14–17. Solazzo, Caroline, Heald, Susan, Ballard, Mary W., Ashford, David A., DePriest, Paula T., Koestler, Robert J., and Collins, Matthew. 2011. Proteomics and Coast Salish blankets: a tale of shaggy dogs? Antiquity 85:1418-1432. Ahti, T. & DePriest, P.T. 2001. New combinations of Cladina epithets in Cladonia (Ascomycotina: Parmeliaceae). Mycotaxon 78:499–502.