Excellence in Education Award

This award was initiated in 1988 to recognize outstanding teaching, mentoring, and/or educational outreach in plant biology. It is a monetary award to be made annually in recognition of excellence in teaching, leadership in curricular development, or authorship of effective teaching materials in the science of plant biology.

2022 Winner: Thelma Madzima

This year’s Excellence in Education Award winner is Thelma Madzima of the University of Washington Bothell. Thelma has an excellent record of teaching, mentoring, and community outreach. As an early-career faculty member, she has taught a wide variety of standard and innovative courses and mentored more than 19 undergraduate and high school students. Thelma’s mentees have presented their research at conferences, received research scholarships or travel awards, and co-authored journal articles. Many of her undergraduate mentees have been accepted into graduate, medical, dental, or pharmacy schools. Most impressively, Thelma has received two grants to support early career STEM faculty from underrepresented minority and marginalized groups in the Puget Sound area and at UW Bothell. She has also made significant contributions to ASPB by co-organizing workshops and serving as a mentor for the ASPB Conviron Scholars Program.

Yan Lu, Chair (2018-2023)
Thelma Madzima, Past Winner (2022-2023)
Marta Laskowski (2020-2023)
Michael Grillo (2023-2025)
Sylvia Lee, Staff Liaison