Ann Fowler Rhoads (born 1938[1]) is an American botanist who worked as a plant pathologist at Morris Arboretum for 36 years, retiring in 2013.

[3][11] This award is named for former director Bruce Hamilton, and recognizes “an unsung hero, a quiet leader, or patient mentor in the field of horticulture".

While working at the Morris Arboretum, Rhoads created a database of Pennsylvania plants and introduced Integrated pest management (IPM) practices.

Rhoads wants “to document the natural vegetation of the state and better understand historical and contemporary influences that have shaped the patterns of plant distribution we see today.”[4] Her research has applications to climate change and how it will affect our local flora.

Biodiversity is predicted to decline, because, as Rhoads notes, "Things just don't evolve and adapt as fast as they would need to.” Understanding existing and historic plant distributions may help researchers to develop measures for mitigation and restoration of threatened areas.

[4] Rhoads is a former board member of the Natural Lands Trust, a non-profit organization focused on connecting people to the outdoors in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.

During her tenure at the Natural Lands Trust, she created the Green Hill Preserves project, where she can observe botanical changes over time.