Brief History
The Department of Plant and Environmental Biology, formerly Deparment of Botany, School of Biological Sciences of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences at the University of Ghana was established in 1948 when the University College of Gold Coast was formed as an affiliate of the University of London. The department initially operated at Achimota with three other departments in the then Faculty of Science (Chemistry, Physics and Zoology) until it’s permanent buildings were completed at the University of Ghana Main Campus in Legon.
In order to ensure the beautification of the University Main Campus, the Department initited and assisted with the establishement of the Grounds and Gardens Organization. In 1950, the Department also helped to establish a 200 acre Botanical Garden whose ultimate purpose was to support teaching and research at the department. An herbarium was also established to support the teaching and research activities of the department.
The first Head of Department was Prof. A. S. Boughey who was one of the first five Professors in the University College of Gold Goast. Prof. Boughey also acted as the first Principal during the Michaelmas Term in 1948. By 1960, Prof. F. W. Sansome was in-charge of the department. The first Ghanaian Head of Department was the Emeritus Professor Ebenezer Laing. Some other notable people who have worked in the department include the Emeritus Professor G. C. Clerk, Prof. Dave John, Mr. J. B. Hall, Dr. Mike Swaine, Mr. D. K. Abbiw, Dr. G. W. Lawson, Dr. J. K. Morton and Dr. D. W. Goodall.
The name of the department was changed to Department of Plant and Environmental Biology in 2014. The name change was neccesited as a result of the increasing role of the department in environmnetal issues. It was also to follow the common trend of changing the name of Botany Departments across the globe.
From a very modest beginning the Department currently has 11 full time Senior Members, 4 Part-time Lecturers, 16 Technical staff, 2 Administrative staff, and 19 Junior staff.