ASPB Committees

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Leeann Thornton, President-Elect, Chair (2022-2025)

Gustavo MacIntosh, President (2021-2024)

Stacey Harmer, Secretary (2021-2023)

Kent Chapman, Treasurer (2019-2023)

Clint Chapple, Elected Member [elected by ASPB membership] (2019-2023)

Elena Monte, Elected Member [elected by ASPB membership] (2021-2025)

Tessa Burch-Smith, Elected Member [elected by ASPB Council] (2021-2023)

Crispin Taylor, CEO (non voting)


The Board of Directors is the Society’s decision-making body; it has authority to act on all matters not reserved to the council or to the Society as a whole. The board of directors is charged with maintaining the activities of the Society in furthering the science of plant biology. Decisions of the board of directors require a quorum of six voting members and the majority of votes cast, unless otherwise directed herein.

Kent Chapman, Treasurer; Chair (2019-2023)

Ed Cahoon (2020-2024)

Chris McEntee, ad hoc member (2021-2024)

Erich Grotewold (2021-2025)

Jen Sheen (2021-2025)

Clara Woodall, CFO, Staff Liaison


The Board of Trustees shall oversee the investments of the Society, and shall prepare the annual budget for the board of directors’ approval. The trustees share with the treasurer the responsibility for the financial stability of the Society.

Brian Larkins, Chair (2018-2023)

Machi Dilworth (2020-2024)

Rob Last (2020-2024)

Kent Chapman (2021-2023)

Allie Gaudinier (2021-2023)

Laura Wayne (2021-2024)

Kelly Gillespie (2022-2024)

Crispin Taylor, CEO, Staff Liaison

Clara Woodall, CFO, Staff Liaison

Katayoon (Katie) Dehesh, Immediate Past-President, Chair (2020-2023)
Gustavo MacIntosh,
President (2021-2024)
Leeann Thornton, President-Elect (2022-2025)
Stacey Harmer, Secretary (2021-2023)
Kent Chapman, Treasurer (2019-2023)
Clint Chapple, Elected Member [elected by ASPB membership] (2019-2023)
Elena Monte, Elected Member [elected by ASPB membership] (2021-2025)
Tessa Burch-Smith, Elected Member [elected by ASPB Council] (2021-2023)
Ruth Welti, Chair, Membership Committee (2021-2025)
Danielle Ignace, Chair, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (2016-2025)
Steve Theg, Chair, Publications Committee (2016-2025)
Erin Friedman, Chair,
Education Committee (2019-2025)
Patricia Leon, Chair, International Committee (2021-2024)
Tessa Burch-Smith, Chair, Science Policy Committee (2020-2024)
Eva Farre, Chair,
Women In Plant Biology Committee (2020-2023)
Josh Gendron, Rep to Council, Northeastern Section (2021-2024)
Judy Brusslan, Rep To Council, Western Section (2020-2023)
Shunyuan Xiao, Rep To Council, Mid-Atlantic Section (2022-2024)
Kathrin Schrick, Rep To Council, Midwestern Section (2021-2024)
Nihal Dharmasiri, Rep To Council, Southern Section (2020-2023)
Anna Locke, Rep to Council, Environmental and Ecological Plant Physiology Section (2019-2023)
Karen Hicks, Rep to Council, Primarily Undergraduate Institutions Section (2021-2024)
Stefan de Folter, Rep to Council, Mexico Section (2021-2024)
Al Meyers, Rep to Council, Early Career Plant Scientists Section (2021-2023)
Asia Hightower, Rep to Council, Ambassador Alliance (2021-2023)
Brianna Griffin, Rep to Council, Early Career Representative (2022-2024)
Crispin Taylor, CEO (Non-voting)


The Council is the Society’s deliberating body; it provides leadership and guidance in setting the overall direction of the Society via the strategic plan. The council evaluates novel program, product, and service concepts in the context of the strategic plan and through its comprehensive sense of the Society’s directions and priorities, makes recommendations to the board of directors accordingly.

Elizabeth Vierling, chair (2020-2023)

Andrew Groover (2021-2024)

Eran Pichersky (2021-2024)

Crispin Taylor, Staff Liaison


The Constitution and Bylaws Committee is charged with maintaining and, as necessary, recommending updates to the Society’s constitution and bylaws. The committee’s recommendations are reviewed by the council and voted on by the board of directors, as described elsewhere in this document.

Erin Friedman, Chair (2019-2025)

Kathryn Parsley, Early Career Representative (2021-2023)

Divya Mishra, Early Career Representative (2022-2024)

Valerie Haywood (2015-2023)

Susan Bush (2017-2025)

Jonathan Gilkerson (2019-2023)

Dior Kelley (2021-2025)

Ross Sozzani (2021-2025)

Sebastian Cocioba (2012-2026)

Jennifer D. Robison (2022-2026)

Winnie Nham, Staff Liaison


The Education Committee, through seminars, publications, lectures, or other appropriate means, shall promote and improve the teaching and public awareness of plant biology as a constantly expanding science.

Read a Question and Response to learn what it is like to serve on the Education Committee as an Early Career Representative

Danielle Ignace, Chair (2020-2025)

Kevin Cope, Early Career Representative (2021-2023)

Gurleen Kaur, Early Career Representative (2022-2024)

Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi (2020-2023)

Adam Steinbrenner (2020-2023)

Imara Perera (2021-2024)

Ramin Yadegari (2021-2024)

Crispin Taylor, Staff Liaison


The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee works to promote equity, diversion and inclusion in ASPB activities and to promote the careers and professional development of under-represented plant biologists in all aspects of the Society and the profession.

Read a Question and Response to learn what it is like to serve on the EDI Committee as an Early Career Representative

Patricia Leon, Chair (2021-2024)

Kamal Kumar Malukani, Early Career Representative (2021-2023)

Dinakaran Elango, Early Career Representative (2022-2024)

Shanjin Huang (2020-2023)

Matthew Tucker (2020-2023)

Dominique Van Der Straeten (2020-2023)

Åsa Strand (2021-2024)

Gabriela Toledo-Ortiz (2021-2024)

Crispin Taylor, Staff Liaison


The International Committee has as its function exploring and, where consistent with the strategic plan and Society priorities, developing relationships between ASPB and other organizations based outside the United States.

Read a Question and Response to learn what it is like to serve on the International Committee as an Early Career Representative

Brian Larkins, Chair (2018-2023)

Kent Chapman (2021-2023)

Jerry Cohen (2021-2025)

Rob Last (2020-2024)

Judy Callis (2022-2026)

Crispin Taylor, CEO, Staff Liaison

Clara Woodall, CFO, Staff Liaison

Ruth Welti, Chair (2021-2025)

Karina Morales, Postdoc Member (2022-2024)

Sabrina Gilmour, Graduate Student Member (2021-2023)

Youngwoo Lee, Early Career Representative (2021-2023)

Maria Clara Faria Chavez, Early Career Representative (2022-2024)

Clayton LaRue, (2019-2023)

Erin Sparks, (2019-2024)

Josh Gendron, Northeastern Section rep (2021-2024)

Judy Brusslan, Western Section rep (2020-2023)

Shunyuan Xiao, Mid-Atlantic Section rep (2022-2024)

Anna Locke, Environmental and Ecological Plant Physiology Section rep (2020-2023)

Kathrin Schrick, Midwestern Section rep (2021-2024)

Nihal Dharmasiri, Southern Section rep (2020-2023)

Karen Hicks, Primarily Undergraduate Institutions Section rep (2021-2024)

Stefan de Folter, Mexico Section rep (2021-2024)

Al Meyers, Early Career Plant Scientists Section rep (2021-2024)

Andrew Foudree Ambassador Alliance rep (2020-2023)

Shoshana Kronfeld, Staff Liaison


The Membership Committee has as its function the maintenance and enhancement of the membership of the Society by continuing to address issues of recruitment of new members and retention of those presently enrolled, and to provide membership services and benefits that are consistent with the strategic plan and the council’s priorities and that meet the approval of the board of directors of the Society.

Read a Question and Response to learn what it is like to serve on the Membership Committee as an Early Career Representative

Leeann Thornton, President-Elect; Chair, (2022-2025)

Gustavo MacIntosh, President, (2021-2024)

Adam Steinbrenner, EDI Committee Rep [elected by ASPB EDIC] (2022-2023)

Katelyn Butler, Early Career Rep [elected by ASPB Early Career Section] (2021-2023)

Erin Friedman, Council Rep – [elected by ASPB Council] (2022-2024)


The Nominations Committee is charged with carrying out the annual nominations procedures, as described in Article VII of the Society’s constitution.

Stacey Harmer, Secretary; Chair (2021-2023)

Leeann Thornton, President-Elect (2022-2023)

Ian Wallace, Secretary-Elect; (2022-2026)

Cody Bekkering, Early Career Representative (2021-2023)

Meredith Sigman, Early Career Representative (2022-2024)

Shinhan Shiu (2018-2023)

Enamul Huq (2020-2024)

Jennifer Lewis (2020-2024)

Jennifer Covington, Staff Liaison


The Program Committee, chaired by the secretary, shall plan, arrange, and publicize the annual programs of the Society.

Read a Question and Response to learn what it is like to serve on the Program Committee as an Early Career Representative

Steve Theg, Chair (2016-2025)

Srindhi Holalu, Early Career Representative (2021-2023)

Saarah Kuzay, Early Career Representative (2022-2024)

Reuben Peters  (2022-2027)

Maria Eugenia Zanetti (2022-2027)

Lisa Ainsworth (2019-2024)

Nicola Patron (2020-2025)

Pamela J. Hines, ad hoc member (2022-2023)

Sarah Black, Staff Liaison

 


The Publications Committee shall supervise and report to the board of directors on all non-editorial aspects of the Society’s journals and other publications, including budget requests and printing contracts arranged by the editors and the headquarters office. The publications committee shall search and make recommendations to the board of directors on appointment of editors-in-chief of the journals or other publications, and shall review and make recommendations to the board of directors for their reappointment after each five years’ service. Members of an editorial board of a journal or other publication shall be appointed for up to five years of service by the publications committee on the recommendation of the editor-in-chief.

Read a Question and Response to learn what it is like to serve on the Publications Committee as an Early Career Representative

Tessa Burch-Smith, Chair (2020-2024)

Katie Dehesh, Immediate Past-President (2022-2023)

Ka Man Jasmine Yu, Early Career Representative (2021-2023)

Robert Stanley, Early Career Representative (2022-2024)

Rebecca Bart (2019-2023)

Simon Gilroy (2021-2025)

Rod Wing (2021-2025)

Aardra Kachroo (2022-2026)

Charles Anderson (2022-2026)

Crispin Taylor, Staff Liaison


The Science Policy Committee shall explain the interests of plant science to the U.S. Congress, Executive Branch and the public. The science policy committee will provide comments to appropriate members and committees of Congress; coordinate interaction with officials in Congress and federal agencies; assist Society members in contacting and providing educational information to policy makers; develop a strategy and objectives for support of basic plant science and coordinate efforts with other plant science societies and related groups; and ensure Society public affairs efforts are consistent with applicable laws.

Read a Question and Response to learn what it is like to serve on the Science Policy Committee as an Early Career Representative

Eva Farre, Chair (2015-2023)

Maryam Rahmati Ishka, Early Career Representative (2021-2023)

Burcu Alptekin, Early Career Representative (2022-2024)

Sibongile Mafu (2020-2023)

Jenny Mortimer (2020-2023)

Dianne Pater (2020-2023)

Rebecca Roston (2021-2024)

Andrew Foudree (2022-2025)

Crispin Taylor, Staff Liaison


The Women in Plant Biology Committee has as its function the maintenance and enhancement of the status of women plant biologists by continuing to address issues of particular concern to women scientists and to promote the inclusion of female plant biologists in all aspects of our Society and profession.

Read a Question and Response to learn what it is like to serve on the Women in PLant Biology Committee as an Early Career Representative

Women in Plant Biology Biographies