Michael E. Soulé is a U.S. biologist, best known for his work in promoting the idea of conservation biology. He earned a Ph.D. in Population Biology at Stanford University under Paul R. Ehrlich. He co-edited with Gary Lease a book of essays titled Reinventing nature?: responses to postmodern deconstruction (1995), which was a response to the arguments presented by environmental historian William Cronon and others in Uncommon ground: toward reinventing nature (1995). He is Research Professor (Emeritus) in Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz. Soule was a cofounder of the Society for Conservation Biology and currently serves on the board of Round River Conservation Studies and The Wildlands Project.