Mary Clutter Leadership in Science Public Service Award

2024 Winner: Wayne Parrot

Wayne Parrot, Distinguished Research Professor in Crop and Soil Sciences at the University of Georgia was trained in plant breeding and plant genetics, and has conducted extensive research on the development and safe, ethical deployment of transgenic crops. Dr. Parrott is a world expert in plant biotechnology and a leading voice on regulatory affairs around biosafety. Dr. Parrott is a fellow of the American Society of Plant Biology (ASPB), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Crop Science Society of America, and the Society for In Vitro Biology, having served in various leadership roles in each of these societies and contributing significantly to their missions. He has contributed significantly to science communication, helping to guide public policy by educating the public and government on the value of modern genetics and genomics to produce sustainable crops. In these roles, he has advocated both nationally and internationally for safe regulation of GMO crops.