The American Museum of Natural History is recognized as a global leader in research and education in systematic and evolutionary biology, earth and planetary sciences, genomics, and cultural and physical anthropology. The Ph.D. Program in Comparative Biology, covering the origins, history, and range of life on Earth, significantly expands the Museum's longstanding role of training the next generation of scientists and educators in one of the most exciting and challenging research areas of contemporary biology. The Richard Gilder Graduate School is both a natural extension of the Museum’s integrated mission of science and education, and the keystone for an ongoing leadership role in addressing the broad spectrum of needs of science and society.