Pioneer Member

Mingzhu Lu – I learned from Mechthild the ways to better organize, analyze, reach conclusions from clueless results, and improve work efficiency by making weekly plans, so as to complete tasks in time. We had weekly one-on-one meeting to keep up with the progress of each project. I learned to manage a laboratory with a steady output every year, ensuring its smooth operation. These skills and personal competence were a great help when I become a supervisor.

Lesley Murphy – Dr. Tegeder is an amazing scientist, mentor, teacher, and I’m proud to consider her a friend. I first met Mechthild when I was her TA while working towards my PhD. She was a new professor at WSU and her drive, collaborative nature, and brilliance were so inspiring to me. Her achievements are clear in the number of cutting-edge discoveries she and her lab have published and the number of collaborations she has been a part of – spanning the globe. Over 20 years later, since I first met Mechthild, she has not slowed down and still inspires people that she worked with prior to that. Dr. Tegeder is truly a Pioneer and representative of what we can learn in plant biology.

Christina Offler & John Patrick – We have been blessed in having Mechthild as a wonderful colleague and friend over the past three decades. Our relationship commenced in the mid 1990’s when she joined our group at the University of Newcastle (UON, Australia) as a postdoctoral researcher. While Mechthild only spent 1.5 years with us, her impact was immediate, profound and has left a lasting legacy. With an extraordinary level of selfless energy and passion, she pioneered introducing a molecular dimension to our research effort of discovering cellular pathways and mechanisms of post-phloem transport of nutrients in developing seeds. Her effort was combined with a strong and effective commitment to collegiality and gender equity that flowed into the wider UON community. We have since celebrated, without surprise, that Mechthild’s ongoing career has been marked by outstanding excellence and substantive impact in research, teaching and academic service. We are most delighted and extremely proud that Mechthild’s professional contributions have been justifiably recognised in her identification as a Pioneer of the ASPB.