Botanical Society of America Awards 2015

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2015 awards provided by the Botanical Society of America. Here we provide recognition for outstanding efforts and contributions to the science of botany. We thank you for your support of these programs.

Awards for ESTABLISHED SCIENTISTS

Distinguished Fellow of the Botanical Society of America

The "Distinguished Fellow of the Botanical Society of America" is the highest honor our Society bestows. Each year, the award committee solicits nominations, evaluates candidates, and selects those to receive an award. Awardees are chosen based on their outstanding contributions to the mission of our scientific Society. The committee identifies recipients who have demonstrated excellence in basic research, education, public policy, or who have provided exceptional service to the professional botanical community, or who may have made contributions to a combination of these categories. Based on these stringent criteria, the 2014 Distinguished Fellows' of the Botanical Society of America are:

Margaret E. Collinson

Professor Margaret E. Collinson, Royal Holloway University of London, is an internationally known and respected plant paleobiologist. She has been elected as a Foreign Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, and serves as a corresponding Member of the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung (Germany) and Honorary Research Fellow of the Natural History Museum (London). Her work is broad and multidisciplinary, covering paleobotany, plant systematics, paleoecology, plant-animal interactions in the past, and plant biochemistry. Particularly noteworthy contributions include early Cenozoic vegetation history, the fossil record of ferns, and highlighting the importance of fire in paleoecoystems. Because of these diverse interests, in many ways Prof. Collinson is an ambassador of botany by continuously showing its relevance to other disciplines such as Earth sciences and paleontology, while also making novel contributions to traditional botanical sciences. In addition to her scholarly work, Prof. Collinson is a tireless and dedicated teacher, and a mentor and supporter of paleobotany. She has been recognized with undergraduate teaching awards, mentored numerous young scientists, and does not distinguish between those who are her own students and those who are not. The 13 PhD students she has graduated to date have all remained involved in science or education, several of them becoming accomplished scientists in their own right. Prof. Collinson served as the President of the International Organization of Paleobotany as well as taking on leadership roles in other organizations. To quote one letter, "Her creativity, incredible productivity and warm collegiality together conspire to make her an excellent example of those who would be recipients of this award."

Donald Levin

Professor Don Levin has been enormously productive and influential in diverse areas of research at the interface of population genetics, hybridization, breeding system biology, defense mechanisms, and polyploidy. He has an exceptional record of achievement in research that is recognized both nationally and internationally; this impressive record has stretched for half a century and continues today. Don is a world leader in research and one of the leading botanical figures of our time. Some of the most influencial papers and books in plant evolutionary biology over the past several decades were written by Don. There are few researchers possessing such diverse expertise who do so many things so well and have made such major contributions in so many areas of plant biology.

Jonathan F. Wendel

Jonathan Wendel is one of the world’s leading researchers studying the genetics and genomics of plant polyploidy, particularly in cotton and other species of the genus Gossypium, which has been the focus of much of his work. His nearly 250 papers span a staggeringly broad range of topics, not only on polyploidy but on phylogenetics, systematic theory, maize genetics, crop evolution, and taxonomy, to name only a few. His work has always been at the leading edge of his fields of interest, beginning with isozymes and moving seamlessly into the DNA era from its beginnings with restriction enzymes, through manual sequencing, and on into the current “next generation” high-throughput phase of comparative genomics. Jonathan has been noted throughout his career for sharing his technical and theoretical insights in incisive and lucid review papers. He is an excellent colleague and valued collaborator, generously giving of his time and boundless energy to further the work and careers of others, and serving as an organizer of important conferences and symposia. Jonathan is also an engaged mentor of graduate and undergraduate students and visiting scientists. He is a distinguished lecturer and educator, and someone who has contributed tremendous service to his institution, having served as chair of Iowa State University’s Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology since 2003. To quote from three of his supporting letters, Jonathan Wendel is “one of the very elite plant evolutionary biologists in the world”, whose work “has spanned decades and has resulted in a new synthesis of views on the genetic and genomic consequences of polyploidy”; “He is a leading light in plant genome evolution.”

BSA Corresponding Members Award

Corresponding members are distinguished senior scientists who have made outstanding contributions to plant science and who live and work outside of the United States of America. Corresponding members are nominated by the Council, which reviews recommendations and credentials submitted by members, and elected by the membership at the annual BSA business meeting. Corresponding members have all the privileges of life-time members.

Dr. Ana Anton, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal and the University of Córdoba, Argentina

Dr. Deborah Charlesworth, Edinburgh University, Scotland

Dr. Dr. Cris Kuhlemeier, University of Bern, Switzerland

Dr. Maria Herrero, University of Zaragoza, Spain

Donald R. Kaplan Memorial Lecture

This year’s lecture was given by Dr. Juerg Schoenenberger, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna
“Who dares to call oneself a plant morphologist?"

The Grady L. Webster Structural Botany Publication Award

This award was established in 2006 by Dr. Barbara D. Webster, Grady’s wife, and Dr. Susan V. Webster, his daughter, to honor the life and work of Dr. Grady L. Webster. The American Society of Plant Taxonomists and the Botanical Society of America are pleased to join together in honoring Grady Webster.

Juliano Dutra Schmitz, Yann Guédon, Flavio Gilberto Herter, Gabriel Berenhauser Leite, and Pierre-Éric Lauri
Exploring bud dormancy completion with a combined architectural and phenological analysis: The case of apple trees in contrasting winter temperature conditions
American Journal of Botany, March 2014 101:398-407; published ahead of print 14 March 2014, doi:10.3732/ajb.1300335

Given By the Sections

Margaret Menzel Award (Genetics Section)

The Margaret Menzel Award is presented by the Genetics Section for the outstanding paper presented in the contributed papers sessions of the annual meetings.

This year’s award goes to Dr. Joshua Puzzy, College of William and Mary
For the paper “Nuclear phylogenomics of the seed plants" Co-authors: Shing Hei Zhan, Tao Chen, Michael Deyholos, James Leebens-Mack, Dennis Stevenson, Philip Thomas, Gane Ka-Shu Wong, Sean W. Graham and Sarah Mathews.

A. J. Sharp Award (Bryological and Lichenological Section)

The A.J. Sharp Award is presented each year by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society and the Bryological and Lichenological Section for the best student presentation. The award, named in honor of the late Jack Sharp, encourages student research on bryophytes and lichens.

This year’s A.J. Sharp Award goes to Manuela Dal Forno, George Mason University
For the paper "Mycobiont cladogenesis triggered by photobiont speciation: A case study of the Rhizonema-Cora lichen symbiosis." Co-authors: James D. Lawrey and LRobert Lucking

Edgar T. Wherry Award (Pteridological Section and the American Fern Society)

The Edgar T. Wherry Award is given for the best paper presented during the contributed papers session of the Pteridological Section. This award is in honor of Dr. Wherry’s many contributions to the floristics and patterns of evolution in ferns.

This year’s awards go to Dr. Emily Butler Sessa, University of Florida
for her paper; "Exploring potential asymmetric hybridization in a Mediterranean fern complex: the Asplenium obovatum group" Co-authors: Maria Vicent and José María Gabriel y Galán

Awards for EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS:

BSA Emerging Leaders Award

Dr. Selena Y. Smith

Selena Smith has only recently become an Assistant Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences and Program in the Environment (and Museum of Paleontology) at the University of Michigan. Nevertheless, she already has established an exemplary record of innovative scientific research, professional leadership, and student mentorship.  Selena initiated her program of paleobotanical research as a high school honor student, conducting, completing, and publishing her first scientific paper before entering the University of Alberta, where she completed an additional nine papers while completing her B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in 2002 and 2007, respectively. In 2005 she received the first NSERC André Hamer Doctoral Postgraduate prize, awarded to the single most outstanding doctoral student in Canada. Selena already has published more than 30 refereed papers (since the year 2,000). The superior quality of Selena’s studies has been appreciated since her first presentations, earning her numerous awards including the Isabel Cookson Award (for best research student presentation in paleobotany at the annual Botanical Society of America meetings), and prestigious competitive pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships in Canada and the United Kingdom. She has achieved continuous National Science Foundation funding through multiple awards from 2010 through at least 2018. Selena’s studies go well beyond the narrow systematic breadth, stratigraphic ranges, or preservational modes that characterize the work of less creative scientists, and she has been at the forefront of developing and employing new methods and technologies such as X-ray tomography, which uses synchrotron technology to develop non-invasive three-dimensional images of fossil plants that may still be imbedded in rock matrix.  Her work also spans a wide range of foci, including structure and development, reproductive biology, paleoecology and paleophytogeography, and systematics and evolution of ferns, gymnosperms, flowering plants, and fungi.

Selena routinely serves on university taskforces and professional society committees, reviews manuscripts, organizes conferences and symposia, performs editorial duties for scholarly publications, and has established a strong record of student mentoring. She currently is supervising one postdoctoral researcher, several graduate student researchers, several undergraduate student researchers, and a high school student. Including past student supervisions, Selena already has helped shape the development of nearly 30 young scientists. Most notable among her numerous outreach activities are initiatives that advocate for the promotion of women in science. Although Selena Smith is but a junior faculty member by age and by years of activity, she already has achieved the stature of a highly successful senior scholar with respect to scientific achievement, broadening of her discipline, contributions to professional societies, and the establishment of new generations of active scientists.

BSA Public Policy Award

The Public Policy Award was established in 2012 to support the development of of tomorrow's leaders and a better understanding of this critical area. The 2015 recipients are:

Andrew Pais, PhD student at North Carolina State University

Ingrid Jordon-Thaden, a postdoc at Bucknell University

Lawrence Memorial Award

The Lawrence Memorial Fund was established at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, to commemorate the life and achievements of its founding director, Dr. George H. M. Lawrence. Proceeds from the Fund are used to make an annual Award in the amount of $2000 to a doctoral candidate to support travel for dissertation research in systematic botany or horticulture, or the history of the plant sciences.

The recipient of the Award is selected from candidates nominated by their major professors. Nominees may be from any country and the Award is made strictly on the basis of merit - the recipient's general scholarly promise and significance of the research proposed. The Award Committee includes representatives from the Hunt Institute, The Hunt Foundation, the Lawrence family, and the botanical community.

The Lawrence Memorial Award for 2015 goes to Mr. Keir Wefferling, a student of Prof. Sara Hoot at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. The proceeds of the Award will help support his travel for further laboratory investigation of the evolution and phylogeography of the Caltha leptosepala species complex of western North America. Mr. Wefferling is unable to accept the Award in person, so the check and accompanying materials will be mailed to him.

Given By the Sections

Awards for STUDENTS:

The BSA Graduate Student Research Award including the J. S. Karling Award

The BSA Graduate Student Research Awards support graduate student research and are made on the basis of research proposals and letters of recommendations. Withing the award group is the Karling Graduate Student Research Award. This award was instituted by the Society in 1997 with funds derived through a generous gift from the estate of the eminent mycologist, John Sidney Karling (1897-1994), and supports and promotes graduate student research in the botanical sciences. The 2015 award recipients are:

J. S. Karling Graduate Student Research Award

Anne Lucy Stilger Virnig, New York Botanical Garden & The Graduate Center of the City University of New York - Advisor, Dr. Amy Litt, From molecular systems to human systems: An interdisciplinary approach to evaluating antioxidant activity and conservation in the neotropical blueberries

BSA Graduate Student Research Awards

Daniella Allevato, Cornell University - Advisor, Dr. Kevin C. Nixon, Modeling the evolution of phytochemical diversity in Pilocarpus via a combined phylogenetic and environmental analysis

Jennifer Blake, Rutgers University - Advisor, Dr. Lena Struwe, Temporal, spatial, and environmental dimensions of variable sex expression in striped maple, Acer pensylvanicum (Sapindaceae)

Katharine Cary, University of California, Santa Cruz - Advisor, Dr. Jarmila Pittermann, Small trees, big problems: leaf function under extreme edaphic stress in the pygmy forests of northern California

Chloe P. Drummond, University of Wisconsin-Madison - Advisor, Dr. Kenneth J. Sytsma, Great Lakes-Western North America Disjuncts: a study on the phylogeography, timing, and climate niche space of three representative lineages

Katherine Eisen, Cornell University - Advisor, Dr. M. A. Geber, Ecological and evolutionary consequences of pollinator sharing in flowering plant communities

Claire Ellwanger, Northwestern University & The Chicago Botanic Garden - Advisor, Dr. Jeremie Fant, Genetic assessment of management and restoration practices of the federally threatened orchid, Platanthera leucophaea (The Eastern Fringed Prairie Orchid)

Nicole J. Forrester, University of Pittsburgh - Advisor, Dr. Tia-Lynn Ashman, Do Doubled Genomes Double Species’ Ranges? Implications for Plant Invasions

Jacob M. Heiling, Dartmouth College - Advisor, Dr. Rebecca Irwin, Ecological significance of pollen secondary chemistry

Julie Herman, University of California, Santa Cruz - Advisor, Dr. Kathleen M. Kay, A Phylogenetic Approach to Plant Chemical Defense

Israel Jimenez Luna, California State University, Los Angeles - Advisor, Dr. Kirsten Fisher, Meiotic sex ratios in the Mojave Desert moss Syntrichia caninervis

Joshua Scott Lynn, University of New Mexico - Advisor, Dr. Jennifer Rudgers, King of the Hill? Potential for novel biotic interactions to limit plant elevational distributions

Nora Mitchell, University of Connecticut - Advisor, Dr. Kent Holsinger, Using natural hybrids to investigate trait-environment associations and stress response in an evolutionary radiation

Nabil Nasseri, University of Vermont - Advisor, Dr. Alison K. Brody, Ant-Hemipteran Mutualisms: Host Plant Antagonist or "Budding" Mutualist?

Juliet Oshiro, University of California, Santa Cruz - Advisor, Dr. Laurel Fox, Predicting flowering phenology responses to climate: integrating long-term data, plant traits and experiments

Amber Paasch, Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History - Advisors, Drs. Eunsoo Kim and Susan Perkins, Characterization of a Unique Method of Bacteria Ingestion in Green Algae by Fluorescence and Electron Microscopy

Wilnelia Recart, University of California, Irvine - Advisor, Dr. Diane Campbell, Beyond the ecological: can presence of an invader affect floral selection in a native species?

Anthony Slominski, Montana State University - Advisor, Dr. Laura Burkle, The effects of climate-driven phenological shifts on plant-pollinator interactions and plant and pollinator reproductive success

Rebecca Stubbs, Florida Museum of Natural History and University of Florida - Advisors, Drs. Nico Cellinese and Doug Soltis, Understanding the Arctic flora: Using a model plant group to study evolution at high latitudes

Brittany L. Sutherland, University of Virginia - Advisor, Dr. Laura F. Galloway, Interploid Gene Flow at Independent Contact Zones in Campanula rotundifolia

Christine Urbanowicz, Dartmouth College - Advisor, Dr. Rebecca E. Irwin, The influence of neighboring plants on pollination and plant reproduction across a stress gradient

Vernon I. Cheadle Student Travel Awards (BSA in association with the Developmental and Structural Section)

This award was named in honor of the memory and work of Dr. Vernon I. Cheadle.

Jessica Chu, Humboldt State University - Advisor, Dr. Alexandru M.F. Tomescu - for the Botany 2015 presentation: "Reappraising the flora of the Battery Point Formation (Québec) – additional diversity of Early Devonian permineralized plants" Co-author: Alexandru M.F. Tomescu

Mario Coiro, ETH Zurich - Advisor, Dr. Elisabeth Truernit - for the Botany 2015 presentation: "Epidermal morphology and the diversification of the cycads" Co-authors: James E. Mickle and Maria Rosaria Barone Lumaga

Jacob Landis, University of Florida - Advisor, Dr. Pamela Soltis - for the Botany 2015 presentation: "Investigating the genetic underpinnings of corolla cell size and shape differences in Saltugilia (Polemoniaceae)" Co-authors: Rebecca O'Toole, Kayla Ventura, Douglas Soltis and Pamela Soltis

Aniket Sengupta, Kansas University - Advisor, Dr. Lena Hileman - for the Botany 2015 presentation: "Testing the role of bilateral flower symmetry genes in eudicot lineages with radial flowers" Co-author: Lena Hileman

Triarch "Botanical Images" Student Travel Awards

This award provides acknowledgement and travel support to BSA meetings for outstanding student work coupling digital images (botanical) with scientific explanations/descriptions designed for the general public.

Jennifer Dixon, Iowa State University - 1^st Place, A Flower of a Different Color, $500 Botany 2015 Student Travel Award

Rebecca Povilus, Harvard University - 2^nd Place, Bright Colors and Strong Scents, $300 Botany 2015 Student Travel Award

Alaina Petlewski, Humboldt State University - 3^rd Place, The Largest Pollination Event on Earth, $200 Botany 2015 Student Travel Award

The BSA Undergraduate Student Research Awards

The BSA Undergraduate Student Research Awards support undergraduate student research and are made on the basis of research proposals and letters of recommendation. The 2015 award recipients are:

Alexander C. Bippus, Humboldt State University - Advisor, Dr. Alexandru M.F. Tomescu, Exploring phylogenetic relationships in the Polytrichaceae (Bryophyta) using fossils and morphology

Nicolas Diaz, Bucknell University - Advisor, Dr. Christopher T. Martine, Determining the invasive potential of cultivated Ilex opaca

Emma Frawley, Bucknell University - Advisors, Drs. Christopher T. Martine and Ingrid Jordon-Thaden, Solanum “bullita”: The Biological and Political Processes of Defining a New Species

Laryssa Gavala, Bucknell University - Advisor, Dr. Christopher T. Martine, Effect of Fire on Seed Germination in Solanum beaugleholei

Daniel Hayes, Bucknell University - Advisors, Drs. Christopher T. Martine and Ingrid Jordon-Thaden, Flow Cytometric Seed Screen of the Apomictic Alpine Mustard, Draba oligosperma Hook, from the North American Cordillera

Jens Johnson, University of Washington - Advisor, Dr. Verónica S. Di Stilio, Mechanisms of Polyploidy and their Effect on Flower Diversification

L. Mae Lacey, Bucknell University - Advisors, Drs. Christopher T. Martine and Elizabeth Capaldi, Exploring the potential for Solanum fruit ingestion and seed dispersal by macropod species in the Northern Territory, Australia

Sean Peña, Florida International University - Advisor, Dr. Suzanne Koptur, Diurnal and nocturnal pollination of the rough-leaf velvetseed, Guettarda scabra (Rubiaceae)

Amanda M. Salvi, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor - Advisors, Dr. Selena Y. Smith, Effect of canopy shading on morphology, physiology, and self-shading in spiral gingers (Costus)

The BSA Young Botanist Awards

The purpose of these awards is to offer individual recognition to outstanding graduating seniors in the plant sciences and to encourage their participation in the Botanical Society of America. The 2015 "Certificate of Special Achievement" award recipients are:

Kristine Altrichter, Creighton University, Advisor: Dr. Mackenzie Taylor

Ally Boni, Bucknell University, Advisor: Dr. Chris Martine

Christine Carson, University of Missouri, Advisor: Dr. Candace Galen

Michael Coe, University of Hawaii, Advisor: Dr. Tom A. Ranker

Monica Dittbern, University of Hawaii, Advisor: Dr. Tom A. Ranker

Dan Evanich, Connecticut College, Advisor: Dr. Chad Jones

E. Geretz, Rutgers University, Advisor: Dr. Myla Aronson

Ian Gilman, Bucknell University, Advisor: Dr. Chris Martine

Margarita Hernandez, University of Florida, Advisor: Dr. Pamela S. Soltis

Ben Kerb, Emporia State University, Advisor: Dr. Marsh Sundberg

Jessica Kettenbach, University of Missouri, Advisor: Dr. Candace Galen

Kolby Lundgren, Humboldt State University, Advisor: Dr. Alexandru M. Tomescu

L. Ruth Rivkin, University of Guelph, Advisor: Dr. Christina Caruso

Morgan Roche, Bucknell University, Advisor: Dr. Chris Martine

Katie Ann Smith, University of Hawaii, Advisor: Dr. Tom A. Ranker

Tory Stewart, Connecticut College, Advisor: Dr. Chad Jones

Christa Unger, Humboldt State University, Advisor: Dr. Alexandru M. Tomescu

Steven Unger, Florida International University, Advisor: Dr. Bradley Bennett

The BSA PLANTS Grant Recipients

The PLANTS (Preparing Leaders and Nurturing Tomorrow’s Scientists: Increasing the diversity of plant scientists) program recognizes outstanding undergraduates from diverse backgrounds and provides travel grants and mentoring for these students.

Alicia Butko, Widener University, Advisor: Dr. Kate Goodrich

Emma Fryer, Humboldt State University, Advisors: Drs. Michael Mesler and Alexandru Tomescu

Patrick Gallagher, The College of New Jersey, Advisor: Dr. Wendy Clement

Jose Miguel Hernandez Ochoa, University of Wisconsin, Advisor: Dr. Juan Zalapa

Angelina Viviana Martinez, University of Florida, Advisors: Drs. Christine Davis and Pamela Soltis

Jesus Medina, California State University - Los Angeles, Advisor: Dr. Craig Barrett

Madeline Metten, University of Northern Colorado, Advisor: Dr. Mitchel McGlaughlin

Andre Naranjo, University of Miami, Advisor: Dr. Barbara Whitlock

Chelsea Pretz, Harris-Stowe State University, Advisors: Drs. John MacDougal and Allison Miller

Mercedes Santiago, Kansas State University, Advisor: Dr. Carolyn Ferguson

Maryan Sedaghatpour, George Mason University, Advisors: Drs. Jorid van der Ham and Andrea Weeks

Gary Sur, University of Hawaii - Hilo, Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Stacy

Imena Valdes, Florida International University, Advisor: Dr. Suzanne Koptur

Joshua Wiese, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Advisor: Dr. Bryan Drew

Genetics Section Student Research Awards

Genetics Section Student Research Awards provide $500 for research funding and an additional $500 for attendance at a future BSA meeting.

Carlos I. Arbizu-Berrocal, University of Wisconsin-Madison - Graduate Student Award - Advisors: Drs. David Spooner and Philipp Simon, for the proposal titled "Molecular and morphological studies of wild and cultivated carrot from Turkey, the genus Daucus"

Beck Powers, University of Vermont - Masters Student Award - Advisor: Dr. Jill Preston, for the proposal titled "Genetic building blocks in the evolution of sympetaly: a candidate gene approach"

Isabel Cookson Award (Paleobotanical Section)

Established in 1976, the Isabel Cookson Award recognizes the best student paper presented in the Paleobotanical Section

Carla Harper from the University of Kansas, for the paper entitled, “Biomarkers in paleomycology – A case study using fungus-infected Permian woods from Antarctica, Co-authors: Alison Olcott Marshall, Craig P. Marshall, Thomas N. Taylor, Michael Krings and Edith L. Taylor.

Katherine Esau Award (Developmental and Structural Section)

This award was established in 1985 with a gift from Dr. Esau and is augmented by ongoing contributions from Section members. It is given to the graduate student who presents the outstanding paper in developmental and structural botany at the annual meeting.

This year’s award goes to Kelsey Galimba, from the University of Washington, for the paper “Duplication and Divergence of the Floral Organ Identity Genes.” Co-authors: Jesús Martínez-Gomez and Veronica Di Stilio.

Physiological Section Li-Cor Prize - Paper

Kerri Mocko, University Of Connecticut, for the paper “Stomatal behavior and integration of functional traits are consistent with climate of origin for co-occurring congeners” Co-author: Cynthia Jones

Physiological Section Li-Cor Prize - Poster

John A. Huber, Brigham Young University, for the poster “Exploring the possibility of photosynthetic plasticity in Agave sensu lato” Co-author: J. Ryan Stewart

Maynard Moseley Award (Developmental & Structural and Paleobotanical Sections)

The Maynard F. Moseley Award was established in 1995 to honor a career of dedicated teaching, scholarship, and service to the furtherance of the botanical sciences. Dr. Moseley, known to his students as “Dr. Mo”, died Jan. 16, 2003 in Santa Barbara, CA, where he had been a professor since 1949. He was widely recognized for his enthusiasm for and dedication to teaching and his students, as well as for his research using floral and wood anatomy to understand the systematics and evolution of angiosperm taxa, especially waterlilies. (PSB, Spring, 2003). The award is given to the best student paper, presented in either the Paleobotanical or Developmental and Structural sessions, that advances our understanding of plant structure in an evolutionary context.

Stephanie Conway, from the University of Melbourne, Australia, for the paper "Surface analysis of cell division in the shoot apical meristem of gymnosperms" Co-author: Andrew Drinnan

Ecology Section Student Presentation Awards

Emily Rollinson (Graduate Student), Stony Brook University, for the paper “Functional diversity and the assembly of riparian plant communities” Co-author: Jessica Gurevitch

Tammy Elliot (Graduate Student), McGill University, for the paper “Understanding shifting plant boundary distributions using phylogenetic methods” Co-author: T. Jonathan Davies

Hanna Dorman, Mississippi State University, for the best Graduate Student poster “Genetic Structure of Rhizobia Associated with Chamaecrista fasciculata” Co-author: Lisa Wallace

Mae Lacey, for the best Undergraduate Student poster “Exploring the potential for Solanum fruit ingestion and seed dispersal by rock-dwelling mammals in the Australian monsoon tropics” Co-authors: Elizabeth Capaldi, Ingrid Jordon-Thaden and Chris Martine

Physiological Section Student Presentation Awards

Vi Bui, University of Western Ontario, for the paper “Wood anatomy of Norway spruce and Scots pine under warming and elevated CO²” Co-authors: Zsofia Stangl, Vaughan Hurry, Norman Huner and Danielle Way

Erika Bucior, Ithaca College, for the poster “The physiological responses of Brassica rapa (Fast Plants) to nutrient and drought stress” Co-author: Peter Melcher

Developmental & Structural Section Student Travel Awards

Riva Bruen, University of California at Berkeley - Advisor, Chelsea Specht - for the Botany 2015 presentation: "The Fearful Symmetry of Flowers: investigating the role of TCP and MYB transcription factors in establishing dorsal/ventral asymmetry in the Zingiberales, an order of tropical gingers" Co-authors: Ana Almeida and Chelsea Specht

Kelsey Galimba, University of Washington - Advisor, Veronica Di Stilio - for the Botany 2015 presentation: "Duplication and Divergence of the Floral Organ Identity Genes" Co-authors:Jesús Martínez-Gomez and Veronica Di Stilio

Ecology Section Student Travel Awards

Laura Bogar, Stanford University - Advisor, Dr. Kabir G. Peay - for the Botany 2015 presentation: "What stabilizes the ectomycorrhizal mutualism? An experimental test of partner choice by Pinus muricata in association with Suillus brevipes." Co-author: Kabir G. Peay

Eric Limbird, Middle Tennessee State University - Advisor, Dr. Jeffrey Walck - for the Botany 2015 presentation: "Freeze-thaw effects on seed viability, seed germination and seedling survivorship vary among exotic and native woody plants" Co-authors: JL Walck, NC Phillips and Siti Hidayati

Economic Botany Section Student Travel Awards

Elliot Gardner, Northwestern University / Chicago Botanic Garden - Advisor, Nyree Zerega - for the Botany 2015 presentation: "Basic research with practical applications: Phylogenomics and pollination biology in a genus of underutilized tree crops (Artocarpus, Moraceae)" Co-author: Nyree Zerega

Colin Khoury, Wageningen University - Advisor, Paul Struik - for the Botany 2015 presentation: "Increasing homogeneity in global food supplies, agricultural research funding, and recommendations for diversifying food systems"

Genetics Section Student Travel Awards

Hanna Dorman, Mississippi State University - Advisor, Dr. Lisa Wallace - for the Botany 2015 presentation: "Genetic Structure of Rhizobia Associated with Chamaecrista fasciculata" Co-author: Lisa Wallace

Jacob Landis, University of Florida - Advisor, Dr. Pamela Soltis - for the Botany 2015 presentation: "Investigating the genetic underpinnings of corolla cell size and shape differences in Saltugilia (Polemoniaceae)" Co-author: Rebecca O'Toole, Kayla Ventura, Douglas Soltis and Pamela Soltis

Brandon Sinn, Ohio State University - Advisor, Dr. John V. Freudenstein - for the Botany 2015 presentation: "Structural and Syntenic Variability in Asaraceae Plastomes: A phylogenetic perspective" Co-authors: Dylan Sedmak, Kelly Lawrence and John Freudenstein

Pteridological Section & American Fern Society Student Travel Awards

Kelsey Cook

Benjamin Dauphin

Joel Nitta

SPECIAL AWARDS:

Dr. Pamela Diggle
Out-going BSA Past-President, University of Connecticut

The Botanical Society of America presents a special award to Dr. Diggle expressing gratitude and appreciation for outstanding contributions and support for the Society. Toby has provided exemplary contributions to the Society in terms of leadership, time, and effort.

 

Dr. Andrea Wolfe
Out-going Secretary, Ohio State University

The Botanical Society of America presents a special award to Dr. Wolfe expressing gratitude and appreciation for outstanding contributions and support for the Society. Andi has provided exemplary contributions to the Society in terms of leadership, time, and effort.

 

Dr. Marshall Sundberg
Out-going Director-at-large for Education, Emporia State University

The Botanical Society of America presents a special award to Dr. Sundberg expressing gratitude and appreciation for outstanding contributions and support for the Society. Marsh has provided exemplary contributions to the Society in terms of leadership, time, and effort.

 

Jon Giddens
BSA Student Representative to the Board, University of Oklahoma

The Botanical Society of America presents a special award to Jon expressing gratitude and appreciation for outstanding contributions and support for the Society.