Rate My Professor Paul Sereno

Paul Sereno is Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago, where he joined the faculty in 1987. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Northern Illinois University in 1979 and a Master of Arts in Vertebrate Paleontology, a Master of Philosophy in Geological Sciences, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences from Columbia University in 1987. His research focuses on vertebrate morphology and evolution, with a special interest in archosaurs, including dinosaurs from all major groups such as ornithischians, sauropodomorphs, and theropods, as well as pterosaurs, crocodilians, turtles, bony fish, and other vertebrates. Sereno has led numerous expeditions, particularly to the Sahara Desert in Niger and other sites in Africa, South America, and Asia, resulting in the discovery and description of many new dinosaur species and other fossils, including Eoraptor, Nigersaurus, Suchomimus, and multiple Spinosaurus species. He has also conducted archaeological work at the Gobero site in the Sahara, excavating over 100 burials from the Holocene period. Sereno established the Fossil Lab at the University of Chicago, which supports preparation, study, and public engagement with fossils collected from his fieldwork. He serves as a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and has contributed to numerous publications, documentaries, and outreach efforts, including the development of science centers and programs in Chicago and Niger.