Pioneer Member

JoAnne Engebrecht – Professor Callis is an amazing researcher, teacher, and contributor to the scientific enterprise. She has an incredible legacy of providing meaningful mentorship to a large cohort of scientists at all career stages. I was fortunate to work with her and I am grateful for her thoughtful, measured, and insightful leadership at University of California Davis.

Charles Gasser – Judy served as an exceptional example and a caring mentor for countless undergraduate students, graduate students and junior scientists. Her support for plant research and the ASPB has been unflagging, having served on multiple committees and being elected Secretary and later President. She serves as an example for service, integrity, and exemplary science to all of us in the community.

Jonathan Gilkerson – Thank you Judy for being such an inspiring plant biologist and one of the best mentors I could have ever hoped to have. Not only did I learn how to be scientist from you, but I also learned how to be a teacher.

Alexander Jones – I’ll never forget the excitement of being an undergraduate surrounded by the fantastic science that Judy fostered in her group. She was such a warm and inspiring undergraduate mentor for me, and I loved my time in her lab. In fact, seeing her in action made me certain that I also wanted to be a PI.

Mark McNamee – I served as a Department Chair and Dean of Biological Sciences at UC Davis and had an opportunity to witness Judy’s growth and development as an outstanding plant scientist,. She was a superb teacher and a wonderful University citizen in addition to her prominence as an outstanding researcher. I am proud to support her recognition as a Pioneer.

Jeanette Natzle – Judy is a colleague of mine in the Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology at UC Davis. She is one of those rare individuals who combine excellence in research with outstanding skills in teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, along with superb ability and collegiality in administrative work for the department and the campus. She certainly deserves this recognition because her work in plant biology is outstanding and impactful; especially when you consider the many postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates that passed through her lab, benefited from her mentorship and then have gone on to distinguished careers of their own.

Susan Norris – As an undergrad, I worked in Judy’s lab my Junior and Senior year, including summers. Judy mentored all of us working in the lab to learn new technical lab skills, project management skills, presentation skills, constantly pushing our scientific thinking. It didn’t matter if you were a grad student or an undergrad, you presented your work at lab meetings, and you presented journal articles at journal club, etc. I learned a love for research in Judy’s lab. It didn’t end there…she mentored me in my long range plans, helping me figure out the right path after undergrad. Over the past 30 years, Judy has continued as a friend, confidant, mentor, and a sounding board thru grad school, post-doc selections, and career paths. I would not be where I am today without Judy! She is not only an amazing scientist — but even more importantly the type of mentor we all strive to be. THANK YOU JUDY!!!

Pamela Ronald – Judy is a fabulous teacher and scientist. I was a student technician working for her when she was a graduate student. With patience and encouragement, Judy introduced me to maize genetics. I am so lucky that Judy mentored me at this key point at the start of my career. She has remained a tremendous inspiration, colleague and friend.

Michael Sullivan – Judy was a postdoc in the Vierstra Lab when I was a graduate student. Judy really ended up being my de facto mentor on molecular biology techniques. I learned so much from her! To this day, I still tell people how lucky I was to have overlapped with her in Rick’s Lab, and I often recall her mentorship when I’m lucky enough to be in the lab these days. Despite all the new tools, we still use some of those good old fashioned techniques! One of my favorite memories: Judy reading a passage of Martin Rechsteiner’s book “Ubiquitin” (the Bible!) out loud in the office in the sort of cadence a parent reads a bed time story!

Li Tian – I have had the privilege of teaching a class with Judy, who is not only an outstanding researcher but also an exceptional teacher. I have been consistently impressed by Judy’s ability to engage with students and inspire their curiosity. Judy has a remarkable talent for making complex topics accessible and interesting, and her infectious passion for teaching left a lasting impression on all the students (and me!) in the class.

Richard Vierstra – Judy has been an important force helping us understand the roles of ubiquitin-mediated protein turnover in plants, with a focus on its roles in auxin signaling. She is also a devoted member of ASPB, including serving as President of the Society. At UC-Davis, she has also been acclaimed a wonderful lecturer, introducing complex topics related to biochemistry in general and plant metabolism in particular. Judy is highly deserving recognition as a Pioneer of ASPB