Fellow of ASPB Award
Established in 2007, the Fellow of ASPB award may be granted in recognition of distinguished and long-term contributions to plant biology and service to the Society by current members in areas that include research, education, mentoring, outreach, and professional and public service. Current members of ASPB who have contributed to the Society for at least 10 years are eligible for nomination. Recipients of the Fellow of ASPB honor, which may be granted to no more than 0.2% of the current membership each year, receive a certificate of distinction and a lapel pin.
2023 Winner: Magdalena Bezanilla
Magdalena Bezanilla, EE Just Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Dartmouth College, is an internationally renowned cell biologist studying the plant cytoskeleton and tip growth to understand cell shape. She pioneered molecular analyses in Physcomitrium patens as a model organism and has coupled this with live imaging and modeling approaches. Magdalena has been a member of ASPB since 2002 and a co-editor of The Plant Cell since 2015. As Editor of a focus issue on plant cell biology in the journal (published in January 2022), she also extended the reach of this science by participating in a Plantae webinar in conjunction with the special issue. In addition to her excellent research and service activities, she continues to be a role model for students.
2023 Winner: Siobhan Brady
Siobhan Brady is a Professor in the Department of Plant Biology and The Genome Center at UC Davis. Through her efforts over years at the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee as well as through publications she diligently tries to broaden the impact of plant science through innovative, integrative, and inclusive outreach. She established the Sharon Gray Women’s Young Investigator Travel Award (WYITA) that provides awards through ASPB to enable young female scientists to attend the ASPB meeting. Siobhan has served on the editorial board of The Plant Cell as Reviewing Editor (2015-2019) and currently as Senior Editor (2020-). She is an internationally recognized leader in understanding plant development and stress responses using systems biology approaches, perform outstanding recognized research (i.e., ASPB Charles Albert Shull Awardee, 2019).
2023 Winner: Z. Jeffrey Chen
Jeff Chen is a Professor of Plant Molecular Genetics in the Department of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a leading authority in the field of plant genetics and genomics and has made seminal contributions to the advancement of plant biology through a series of pioneering studies on plant genome evolution and crop domestication. Jeff has worked to advocate for plant and agricultural research as a member of the ASPB Science Policy Committee (2017-2021), in which he meets annually with congressional representatives and staff members to lobby for increased federal grant money for the plant sciences. He is a member of the editorial board of a number of journals, including Genome Biology, The Plant Genome, and Genes.
2023 Winner: Natalia Dudareva
Natalia Dudareva is a Distinguished University Professor at Purdue University. She is a leading authority in the field of field of plant volatile emissions and has made seminal contributions to the study of the pathways underpinning the production of floral scent. Natalia has been a member of ASPB since 1996 and has served on the editorial boards of various journals, including Plant Physiology, and has served on the ASPB Stephen Hales Prize Committee. She has served on numerous grants panels, including recently serving as Panel Manager for several USDA panels. Her community and scientific outreach to the public is extensive. Natalia is an outstanding role model and mentor for young scientists, and embodies the scientific curiosity, high ethical standards, and professional ideals that we strive for in the ASPB.
2023 Winner: Jonathan Monroe
Jonathan Monroe is a professor of Biology at James Madison University (JMU) where he and his students investigate starch hydrolases in Arabidopsis thaliana. He has been member of the faculty at JMU since 1992. His work at JMU with students led him to serve as a founder of ASBP’s highly successful Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. The majority of his publications include undergraduates and few high school students are co-authors. His teaching was recognized by the Society in 2001 when he received the “Excellence in Teaching” award. Jon has long record of service to ASPB locally and nationally, including serving as a section representative to the Executive Committee, elected to the Executive Committee, served as Treasurer and selected as Trustee.
2023 Winner: Wayne Parrott
Wayne Parrott, University Distinguished Professor, Professor of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Director of the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics at the University of Georgia is a world expert in plant biotechnology and the development of regeneration and transformation methods for crop species, and a biosafety regulatory leader. His extensive publications encompass both research and the regulatory aspects of plant biotechnology: he is both a scholar and an advocate. Wayne has served with NSF, and with numerous societies, community boards and committees, including ASPB where he has been Secretary, and Chair of the Program Committee multiple times. As Program Chair in 2020, he organized a virtual annual meeting on short notice and broadened the impact of the annual ASPB meeting going forward.
Neelima Sinha, Chair (2018-2023)
Julia Frugoli (2020-2023)
Joe Kieber (2020-2023)
MariaElena Zavala (2023-2025)
Sylvia Lee, Staff Liaison