This text would not be possible without the support of Kris Wobbe and WPI’s Great Problem Seminar (GPS) Program. In addition, we would like to acknowledge the support of WPI’s Humanities & Arts Department, WPI’s Global Lab, and its Global Faculty Fellow Program. This text was inspired by discussions in a Peer Mentoring Network on Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion hosted by SCORE-UBE (Sustainability Challenges for Open Resources to promote an Equitable Undergraduate Biology Education). Furthermore, Brian Lower and Ella Weaver, from The Ohio State University, provided critical and generous advice in their experience producing a similar open text with students.

We are thankful to Tess Flaherty, Sam Grillo, Mickaela Gunnison, Urmila Mallick, Blaise Pingree, and Anxhelo Ripa. The work of these gracious, skillful, and supportive Peer Learning Assistants provided absolutely invaluable mentorship, leadership, and advice to students in the course and the development of this project.

The students who embraced the challenge, conducted research, and wrote the following chapters are the ultimate stars of this text. We want to thank students in GPS: Extinctions and BB 1045 Biodiversity for exploring these topics and digging deep into the causes, consequences, and solutions facing our planet’s precious biodiversity.