Mary Clutter Leadership in Science Public Service Award

Renamed in 2019 by ASPB’s Board of Directors to honor the contributions of its 2006 recipient, the ASPB Science Policy Committee awards the Mary Clutter Leadership in Science Public Service Award annually to recognize individuals who have advanced the mission of ASPB and its members through significant contributions to plant science and public policy leadership. Awardees generally have made contributions to the broader society that are relevant to the work of plant biologists; recipients need not be plant scientists themselves.

The Mary Clutter Leadership in Science Public Service Award recipient is invited to address the Society during the annual meeting held in the year of their award.

2023 Winner: Diane Jofuku Okamuro

Diane Jofuku Okamuro is a plant biologist by training, conducting pioneering research in plant gene expression during plant development. After careers in academia and industry, she began her career as a science-grants administrator at the National Science Foundation in 2005. In over 18 years as an NSF Program Director she has been a champion for plant biology in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems in the Biological Sciences Directorate.  Diane’s leadership as a Program Director for the Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) has led to transformative progress in the field of plant biology and the training of numerous plant biologists.

Science Policy Committee Members

Tessa Burch-Smith (2020-2024), chair
Maureen McCann, Immediate Past-President (2021-2022)
Erin Doody, Early Career Rep (2020-2022)
Ka Man Jasmine, Early Career Rep (2021-2023)
Scott Jackson (2018-2022)
Carolyn Lawrence-Dill (2018-2022)
Rebecca Bart (2019-2023)
Simon Gilroy (2021-2025)
Rod Wing (2021-2025)
Crispin Taylor,  Staff Liaison