May/June 2021 • Volume 48, Number 3

p. 8 p. 13 p. 18 ASPB Announces 74 Reasons Unsung Heroes 2021 Award Not to Miss the Chrislyn Particka Winners Plant Biology 2021 Worldwide Summit Worldwide Summit July 19–23

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLANT BIOLOGISTS

President’s Letter Critical Infrastructure BY MAUREEN McCANN ASPB President, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The American lobal agricultural ers, and the human capi- production of rice, tal of PhDs trained in Society of Plant Gwheat, maize, and fundamental plant biol- soybean, crops that together ogy. Although mechani- Biologists Announces… provide over 70% of human zation, industrialization, calories, was at close to re- and production of cord yields last year, despite synthetic fertilizers have The 2024 the COVID-19 pandemic. contributed to dramatic Governments recognized crop yield increases Centennial growers as essential workers over the past 50 years, and the food supply chain as as plant scientists we critical infrastructure. Early can be proud of our Challenge concerns about potential discoveries leading to food shortages proved un- improved seed genetics founded. Our collective fears and accelerated breeding for the fragility of our food supply should strategies that changed the stature and form In 2024, ASPB will now be transformed into renewed respect of plants in the fields and led to increased and gratitude for farmers and growers, as for grain yields. celebrate its 100th other frontline workers. It is a remarkable achievement that, on Anniversary! A key component of the critical agricul- the same land area, U.S. corn production tural infrastructure is the up-front invest- increased from 100 metric tons in 1960 to ment that governments make in research. In 367 metric tons in 2020. Soybean production See page 3. the United States, this investment includes more than doubled, from 20 to 46 metric USDA laboratories and land grant universi- tons, in the same time frame. However, farm- ties, which develop technologies relevant to ers have not reaped the full benefits of these agriculture and give them directly to grow- continued on page 7 Contents Council members highlighted in blue ASPB Council also serve on the Board of Directors.

President Maureen McCann Immediate Past President; Chair Judy Callis President-elect Katayoon (Katie) Dehesh 1 President’s Letter Secretary Wayne Parrott Treasurer; Chair, Board of Trustees Kent Chapman Elected Members Christine Foyer Clint Chapple 3 The 2024 Centennial Challenge Gustavo MacIntosh

Chair, Membership Committee Ruth Welti Chair, Equity, Diversity, and 8 ASPB Announces 2021 Award Winners Inclusion Committee Miguel Vega-Sanchez Chair, Publications Committee Steve Theg Chair, Women in Plant Biology Committee Eva Farre 12 ASPB’s 2021 Women’s Young Investigator Travel Chair, Education Committee Erin Friedman Award Winners Announced Chair, International Committee Anja Geitmann Chair, Science Policy Committee Tessa Burch-Smith

Sectional Representatives 13 74 Reasons Not to Miss the Plant Biology 2021 Mid-Atlantic Section Mike Axtell Midwestern Section Gustavo MacIntosh Worldwide Summit Northeastern Section Carolyn Lee-Parsons Southern Section Nihal Dharmasiri Western Section Judy Brusslan 16 Changing Cultures and Climates: A New Online Mexico Section Rubén Rellán Álvarez Resource for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Early Career Plant Scientists Section Rishi Masalia

Environmental and Ecological Plant Physiology Section Emily Heaton 17 Meet Sabrina Chin, 2021 Ambassador of the Year Primarily Undergraduate Institutions Section Leeann Thornton

Ambassador Alliance Katy McIntyre Unsung Heroes ASPB Staff 18 Chrislyn Particka Chief executive officer Crispin Taylor, [email protected] Chief financial officer Clara Woodall, [email protected] Executive and governance affairs administrator Sylvia Lee, [email protected] Luminaries Accounting manager Teressa Leath, [email protected] 20 Ian Newman Senior staff accountant Jotee Pundu, [email protected] Senior staff accountant Francky Rakotomanana, [email protected] Director of meetings and marketing Jean Rosenberg, [email protected] Conference coordinator Teresa Myers, [email protected] Science Policy Senior membership manager Shoshana Kronfeld, [email protected] 23 Policy Update Membership administrator Linda Palmer, [email protected] Community engagement administrator Katie Rogers, [email protected] Web systems manager Mark James, [email protected] Education Forum Education coordinator Winnie Nham, [email protected] Publications assistant Diane McCauley, [email protected] 26 Support, Even from Six Feet Apart: Managing editor Chris Lowe, [email protected] An ASPB SURFer’s Experience Science writer, Plant Physiology Peter Minorsky, [email protected] Peer review manager, Plant Physiology Ashton Wolf, [email protected] Senior features editor, The Plant Cell Nan Eckardt, [email protected] Features editor, The Plant Cell Mary Williams, [email protected] Production manager, The Plant Cell Susan Entwistle, [email protected] Peer review manager, The Plant Cell Annette Kessler, [email protected]

The ASPB News is distributed to all ASPB members and is also available online. It is published six times annually in odd-numbered months. Its purposes are to keep membership informed of ASPB activities and to reinforce the value of membership. The ASPB News is edited and produced by ASPB staff from material provided by members and other interested parties. Copy deadline is the 5th day of the preceding even-numbered month (for example, April 5 for May/June publication). Contact: Crispin Taylor, Editor, ASPB News, 15501 Monona Drive, Rockville, MD 20855- 2768 USA; [email protected]; 301-296-0900. © 2021 American Society of Plant Biologists

2 ASPB NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2021 The American Society of Plant Biologists Announces… The 2024 Centennial Challenge

In 2024, ASPB will celebrate its 100th Anniversary! To ensure that the Society will thrive for the next 100 years, we aspire to raise $3 million in donations by the Plant Biology 2024 meeting. The primary purpose of the Centennial Challenge is to significantly enhance support for ASPB professional development programs and other good works of the Society, as directed by the Board of Directors, that nurture future generations of plant scientists.

This effort is being led by the 2024 Centennial Challenge Committee (http://bit.ly/CentennialCharter;​ https://aspb.org/about/ committees/), which currently comprises Brian Larkins (chair), Debby Delmer, Rob Last, Machi Dilworth, and Kent Chapman (treasurer; ex officio), as well as staff liaisons Clara Woodall (CFO; ex officio) and Crispin Taylor (CEO; ex officio). We thank Ralph Quatranofor his previous service on this committee. For more details, please read on . . .

Examples of How Your Donations Can Be Put to Good Use

y Travel grants for students and postdocs to attend ASPB meetings y Internships and scholarships for early career members y Support for symposia, workshops, and specialty meetings on timely topics y Many other activities that, with your support and recommendations, can become possible! Become a Lifetime Friend of ASPB As your contributions grow, so does your ability to have an even greater impact on the future of the Society. Whether or not you are a member of ASPB, all of your donations—from the time when our tracking system Lifetime Giving Circles was implemented in late 2015—are recorded by our staff. You can track To encourage a culture of giving that will sustain the Society through the your contributions by using the Centennial Challenge and beyond, ASPB has set up the following lifetime giving shortcut https://invoices.aspb.org to circles. We will track your donations over time and, with your permission, add access the member portal, logging your name to each roster as you achieve the corresponding level of giving. in, and reviewing the Invoices tab by Charles Reid Barnes Circle $5,000–$9,999 date on your profile. If you have a record of a significant donation prior Katherine Esau Circle $10,000–$24,999 to late 2015, please contact ASPB George Washington Carver Circle $25,000–$49,999 CEO Crispin Taylor at ctaylor@aspb. Melvin Calvin/Andrew Benson Circle $50,000–$74,999 org so we can credit your lifetime Joseph Varner Circle $75,000–$100,000 giving record accordingly. As your Barbara McClintock Circle $100,000+ donations accumulate through the coming years, your generosity will be You can learn more about these luminaries and their impacts on plant science by recognized by ASPB, as shown in the clicking on their names (online) to see a brief biography (https://aspb.org/aspb- Lifetime Giving Circles box to the left. lifetime-giving-circles/).

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ASPB NEWS | VOLUME 48, NUMBER 3 3 The American Society of Plant Biologists Announces… The 2024 Centennial Challenge continued from page 3

Become a Member of Honor an Outstanding Scientist or Mentor the Legacy Society as a Pioneer of ASPB

Starting in 2016, prominent and y Who do you most admire for their contributions to the field of plant biology? long-time Society members were y Who was your most important plant science teacher? invited to help establish the Legacy Society. One hundred and thirty- y Was your PhD or postdoctoral adviser an outstanding mentor not just for you, but six individuals agreed to make for others as well? a donation of at least $5,000, becoming the Founding Members Long-time ASPB members were invited to recognize luminaries (living or of the ASPB Legacy Society. Please deceased) as ASPB Pioneers by gathering donations from former students, visit https://aspb.org/aspb-legacy- postdocs, and colleagues totaling at least $5,000 in support of the Centennial society/ for a list of names and Challenge. Their enthusiastic initial response has created an excellent founda- biographies of Legacy Society tion on which to build: As of mid-April 2021, 55 Pioneers had been recognized. Founding Members. The success of this activity provided the incentive Our goal is to recognize more than 100 ASPB Pioneers by the Plant Biology to continue moving forward with 2024 centennial meeting. A short biography of each Pioneer and the names of the 2024 Centennial Challenge. their supporters appear on the ASPB Pioneer Member website (https://aspb.org/ aspb-pioneer-members/), which you can access from the drop-down menu We welcome new Legacy Society under “Membership” on the main navigation bar on the ASPB website. (Please members, and any donor to note: If you have already donated in support of one or more Pioneers, we invite ASPB who reaches a lifetime you to submit a succinct testimonial. Testimonials should be submitted via the total of $5,000 will automatically Google form [https://aspb.org/membership/pioneer-testimonials/] that is linked become a member of the Legacy from the Pioneer page.) Society. Although new Legacy Society members will continue to We encourage everyone to join the effort to recognize outstanding plant scien- need to pay annual membership tists and ASPB members while helping ASPB attain its financial goal for the dues, a great way to support the Centennial Challenge. If you would like to lead an effort to recognize a Pioneer, Centennial Challenge is to bring please contact Brian Larkins at [email protected] or Crispin Taylor at your lifetime donations up to this [email protected] for directions on how to get started. You can also add your level—join up! personal recognition for an existing Pioneer by making your pledge through our donor commitment form (https://aspb.org/pioneer-legacy-donation/) and join- ing the current list of donors for that Pioneer.

4 ASPB NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2021 Important Information Regarding Your Donations

y ASPB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi- zation under United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines (tax ID 53-0258999). Please consult with your tax accountant regarding possible deductibility of your gift under IRS Make a Lasting Impact on ASPB by Including guidelines.

the Society in Your Estate y All donations received from 2016 through the end of 2024 will be counted There is perhaps no better way to support the Centennial Challenge—while toward the Centennial Challenge goal. making a lasting impact on the future success of ASPB and plant biology—than by including a generous gift for ASPB in your estate. For example, you may y Donations to the Centennial Challenge choose to can be either unrestricted or restricted. Restricted gifts, such as those named y Arrange a gift to ASPB through your will, living trust, retirement plan, or life in honor of a specific person and/or insurance policy. that have a specific purpose, require record-keeping and management y Make ASPB a designated beneficiary for all or a portion of an investment or actions. The funds from unrestricted IRA account. The direct gift of appreciated stocks, bonds, or mutual funds is a donations can be used for good works generous and tax-advantageous way to support the Society. as directed by the ASPB Board of Directors. See ASPB’s gift acceptance Please consult ASPB’s gift acceptance policy (http://bit.ly/ASPB-gift-acceptance- policy for more details (http://bit.ly/ policy), and feel free to contact Brian Larkins ([email protected]), chair ASPB-gift-acceptance-policy). of the Legacy Society Leadership Committee, or Crispin Taylor ([email protected]), ASPB CEO, to discuss your options for estate giving, especially if you wish to y If you are interested in making a major contribute some other type of asset or to learn more about the mechanisms for gift or considering donations of any special assets, please consult with CEO considering, approving, and implementing the expectations of major individual, Crispin Taylor at [email protected] corporate, or philanthropic donors. before making the gift.

Special efforts are planned between now and 2024 to encourage members to y Please be sure to check whether your remember ASPB in their estate planning. There are opportunities to become a company or institution offers matching major personal, philanthropic, or corporate supporter of ASPB by making signifi- funds for charitable donations! cant donations that are sufficient on their own to allow activities such as y ASPB does not have the capacity to y A named internship, fellowship, or award provide advice regarding estate plan- ning. Please consult your legal, invest- y A special symposium or workshop at one of our meetings ment, and/or tax adviser for advice y In consultation with ASPB, the opportunity to design your own special gift to on all such donations. To have your the Society. estate donation(s) credited to the 2024 Centennial Challenge, please inform Crispin Taylor before the end of 2024 of your plans for legacy giving and provide a copy of the relevant directives.

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ASPB NEWS | VOLUME 48, NUMBER 3 5 The American Society of Plant Biologists Announces… The 2024 Centennial Challenge Form for Making Donations by Mail in Support of the 2024 Centennial Challenge Giving online is easier and quicker; please visit https://aspb.org/donate/ to do so. However, if you prefer, use this form to submit by mail. If you have ques- tions on how to complete this form, please contact Shoshana Kronfeld at [email protected].

Unrestricted Donations Unrestricted donations to ASPB (ASPB General Fund) will be used where the need is greatest, as described in the gift acceptance policy. The anticipated emphasis is to support professional development, including such things as travel grants, fellowships, and internships, as well as to cover costs associated with fundraising. Although donations to join the Legacy Society or in recognition of an ASPB Pioneer were initially considered restricted donations, going forward with the Centennial Challenge and in keeping with the current gift acceptance policy, these and all other donations below $25,000 will be considered unrestricted donations.

Check box that applies:  ASPB General Fund US$ amount pledged______ I wish to join the Legacy Society US$ amount pledged______Cumulative commitment of $5,000 required  I wish to honor a special person as a Pioneer of ASPB US$ amount pledged______Name of honoree______

Restricted Donations Restricted donations are used for existing Board-approved fundraising efforts. Please visit https://aspb.org/donate/ for more details. In accordance with Article IX of the ASPB Constitution, and with the exception of certain corporate or personal sponsorships, all permanently restricted dona- tions for specific purposes will be invested in the ASPB investment portfolio. Income generated from these investments will be used exclusively for the activi- ties as specified by you in the options presented below. Please check the box or boxes that apply, and indicate the amount you intend to donate for each option checked. In accordance with its gift acceptance policy (http://bit.ly/ASPB-gift-acceptance-policy), ASPB will apply 85% of your donation to the designated cause and withhold 15% as a service charge for ongoing administration of your gift.

Check box that applies:  Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award US$ amount pledged______ ASPB–Carnegie Winslow Briggs Mentorship Award US$ amount pledged______ Lawrence Bogorad Award for Excellence in Plant Biology Research US$ amount pledged______Help us meet  Eric E. Conn Young Investigator Award US$ amount pledged______the challenge,  Robert Rabson Award US$ amount pledged______so we can  ASPB Innovation Prize for Agricultural Technology US$ amount pledged______celebrate in  Joe Varner Travel Award US$ amount pledged______2024!  Education Initiative (temporarily restricted) US$ amount pledged______ Other (please specify) US$ amount pledged______

Estate Giving and Major Gifts For novel gifts and estate donations that are not appropriate for use of this online form, please read the ASPB gift acceptance policy (http://bit.ly/ASPB-gift-acceptance- policy) and then contact Brian Larkins, chair of the Legacy Society Leadership Committee, or Crispin Taylor, ASPB CEO, to discuss further the nature of your desired gift.

Please check the box that applies:  I will donate by mailing a copy of this form with a check of $______payable to ASPB. Name on credit card Amount

If the donation is unrestricted, on the memo line indicate “Centennial Challenge Donation for the General Fund.” If it is restricted, indicate “Restricted Credit card number Expiration Date (M/Y) CVV Donation” and specify the fund(s) for which the donation is targeted. / Mail check and printed form to: ASPB, 15501 Monona Drive, Rockville, MD 20855.

 I prefer to donate by credit card (VISA, MasterCard, Print Name American Express) and have completed the infor- mation on the adjacent panel. Please mail form to the address just above. Signature Date

6 ASPB NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2021 PRESIDENT’S LETTER that sense the color of ripe fruits of our food supply will depend versity with the imperative to continued from page 1 using machine learning algorithms, on the resilience of the global decarbonize for climate change yield increases, a phenomenon robotic harvesters small enough agricultural system to a series of mitigation. But farmers and grow- that agricultural economists refer not to damage and compact soils, future shocks. As the population ers around the world need to have to as the “technology treadmill” and drones that can deliver agro- approaches 10 billion, per capita their livelihoods protected. It’s (Levins and Cochrane, 1996). chemicals more precisely (King, food consumption is projected time for us to step up and support Although new technologies 2017). The protein transition from to grow 8% to 12% (Ahmed et our essential workers.  contribute to increased produc- animal to vegetable proteins in al., 2020). Arable land and fresh tion, prices decrease faster as products such as the Impossible water supplies are decreasing. Thanks to Nick Carpita and Otto those technologies become widely burger, vertical agriculture using Agricultural productivity is Doering for their insights and edits. adopted. The demand for agricul- closed systems in urban and subur- projected to decline as tempera- tural products is inelastic, leaving ban environments, and weather ture increases and weather events farmers with slimmer and slim- modification technologies might become more erratic. Almost References mer margins of profit. impact farming in disruptive ways one-quarter of greenhouse gas Ahmed, J., Almeida, E., Aminetzah, Almost half of the produc- (de Wilde, 2016). But will these emissions come through agri- D., et al. (2020). Agriculture and tion cost of an acre of corn is for innovations, wonderful as they are, culture, forestry, and land-use climate change: Reducing emissions nitrogen fertilizer. As corn prices simply become additional compo- change (Ahmed et al., 2020). through improved farming practices. New York: McKinsey & Company. nents of the technology treadmill? Worldwide, cattle and dairy rose this spring, fertilizer costs http://bit.ly/McKinseyClimate also rose, without any significant Our challenge, then, is to cows emit greenhouse gasses de Wilde, S. (Ed.). (2016). The fu- increases in the costs of ammonia imagine how plant biology can equivalent to the total emissions ture of technology in agriculture. The add value to every plant and bring production. A back-of-the-enve- of the United States (Ahmed et Hague: Netherlands Study Centre for lope calculation for gross returns new acres into production while al., 2020). Worse, agricultural Technology Trends. on corn in 1960 comes to $60 per preserving and increasing yields. emissions are heavily skewed to King, A. (2017). The future of agri- acre. In 2020, corn production We have astonishing new tools in methane and nitrous oxide, much culture. Nature 544: 521–523. https:// yielded about $1,000 per acre. genetics, metabolic engineering more potent gases than carbon doi.org/10.1038/544s21a and synthetic biology, conserva- However, adjusting for inflation, dioxide for global warming. Levins, R. A., and Cochrane, W. W. in 2020 corn yielded $115 per tion technology, bioinformatics, The agricultural sector must (1996). The treadmill revisited. Land acre in 1960 dollars. Thus, per and biotechnology. As plant biolo- balance food security, nutritional Economics 72: 550–553. https://doi. acre, the yield has tripled, but the gists, we have a responsibility to needs, and preservation of biodi- org/10.2307/3146915 return has barely doubled. For use our talents to future proof all soybeans, yields have more than of the species we depend on for doubled, but gross returns were food, feed, fiber, fuel, and pharma- the same in 2020 as in 1960, about ceuticals, and to create the critical $50 per acre. As the old joke goes, infrastructure for a successful and Late-Breaking News when the farmer who won the equitable plant-based bioeconomy Yunde Zhao will Succeed Mike Blatt million-dollar lottery was asked that supports the livelihood of how he would use his winnings, growers and their communities. as Editor-in-Chief of Plant Physiology® he replied, “I’m going to keep In the United States, a long farming until it’s all gone.” history of policy injustices dispro- In just a couple of decades, portionately impacted African agriculture has become data- American farmers, who now enabled and technology-intensive. number 45,000 (of 3.4 million Tractors are guided by GPS, and farmers) compared to 1,000,000 water and fertilizer are precisely a century ago. Pathways for equal applied according to data collected participation both in the lab and by soil sensors. Innovations in red in the field need to ensure that and blue light-emitting diodes the best and brightest can become supply specific wavelengths of engaged to ensure the robustness of an evolving agriculture. light to crops grown in controlled More to come in the July/August issue of the ASPB News. environments. Developing tech- A pandemic is one shock nologies include robotic pickers to the system. The robustness

ASPB NEWS | VOLUME 48, NUMBER 3 7 ASPB Announces 2021 Award Winners

ach year, ASPB honors ex- cellence in research, educa- Etion, outreach, and service through its numerous awards to individuals who promote the mis- sion of our Society. We are proud to announce this year’s award recipients.

ASPB Innovation Prize for Agricultural Technology Carla Yerkes Adrienne Roeder Robert Goldberg Patrick H. Brown Carla Yerkes Corteva Agriscience by combining computational from ASPB in 2015. Perhaps his His leadership in basic and applied The 2021 ASPB Innovation Prize modeling with live imaging and most noteworthy and impactful plant biology across a range of for Agricultural Technology is molecular genetics. Her research contribution was serving as found- scales and disciplinary boundaries awarded to Carla Yerkes for her has highlighted the importance ing editor of The Plant Cell. His is truly exceptional. extensive and impactful scientific of variability in enabling plants to vision for the journal encompassed contributions that have translated produce cells of different sizes and every detail, from policy to manu- Early Career Award to agricultural solutions that benefit to ensure regular and reproduc- script review, printing, and illustra- Troy Magney farmers. We also recognize her ible organ shape and size. This is tion. The Plant Cell not only helped outreach efforts as a science ambas- a principle that extends beyond make ASPB a premier global plant University of California, Davis sador inspiring new generations of plants and has broad implications science society but, more impor- The ASPB Early Career Award scientists. Carla’s contributions are in developmental biology. tantly, raised the visibility of plant goes to Troy Magney, assistant extensive, spanning the discovery, research among the broader com- professor in the Department of development, and launch of new Charles Reid Barnes Life munity of biologists by publishing Plant Sciences at the University chemical- and biotechnology-based Membership Award the highest quality and highest of California, Davis. Troy ob- weed control systems. The results impact research studies. tained a BA in physical geography are solutions used by farmers Robert Goldberg and international studies at the around the world, such as the aryl­ University of California, Los Dennis R. Hoagland Award University of Denver and com- picolinate auxin herbicide family Angeles pleted his PhD in natural resources Patrick H. Brown and the Enlist weed control system. Bob Goldberg’s contributions to at the University of Idaho in 2015. ASPB celebrates and congratulates plant science exemplify the hall- University of California, Davis As a NASA postdoctoral program Carla for her many contributions to marks of Charles Reid Barnes’s dis- Patrick Brown has made seminal fellow at California Institute of the plant biology community. tinguished career. Bob, recipient of contributions to our understanding Technology, Troy developed inno- a Howard Hughes Medical Institute of plant mineral nutrition and has vative interdisciplinary approaches Charles Albert Shull Award professorship, was recognized at been a leader in the successful ap- to understand vegetative structure UCLA for innovative teaching plication of fundamental research and function from individual Adrienne Roeder and research with the Gold Shield to improve agriculture. He dem- plant leaves to the whole planet by Cornell University Award for Excellence in Research onstrated that nickel is an essential linking remote sensing and plant Adrienne Roeder, Nancy M. and and Undergraduate Education element for plants and led pioneer- physiological data across multiple Samuel C. Fleming Term Associate and the Luckmann Distinguished ing discoveries in the metabolism temporal and spatial scales. In Professor at Cornell University, is Teaching Award from the UCLA and transport of boron. Patrick is 2019, Troy started his own labora- the 2021 recipient of the Charles Academic Senate. A pioneer in also a leader in orchard nutrition tory at UC Davis and undertook Albert Shull Award. Adrienne plant molecular biology, Bob management and sustainability, fo- a number of federally funded has taken our understanding of was elected to NAS in 2001 and liar fertilization, and biostimulants, projects to drive innovations from plant development to a new level received the Stephen Hales Prize all with significant global impact. ecophysiology to agriculture by

8 ASPB NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2021 Troy Magney Naomi Ori Shu-Hsing Wu Katherine M. Murphy Rupesh Kariyat

integrating plant physiology, bio- transcription factors and hormones the Asia and Oceania Society for tolerance in plants and her dedi- physics, remote sensing, and envi- such as auxin, cytokinin, and gib- Photobiology from 2015 to 2017, cation to outreach and service ronmental informatics. berellin interact in coordinating and she remains a sought-after benefiting the plant biology com- development in both processes. In speaker at international conferences munity. Katie’s combined mo- Enid MacRobbie Corre- this regard, Naomi made a substan- on plant development and photo- lecular, biochemical, and genetic sponding Membership tial contribution to the unravelling biology. Among the awards she has studies in maize have provided Award of the role of different hormones received, she was the Thompson substantial new insights into the Corresponding Member status is in shaping leaf morphology. More Citation Laureate in 2006. biosynthesis of species-specific conferred by election on the an- recently, the Ori group has been en- Shu-Hsing established her maize terpenoids and their func- nual ballot. This honor, initially gaged in investigating the regulation independent research career in tion in pathogen defense and given in 1932, provides life mem- of fruit development and fruit set. Taiwan after receiving her basic other plant–microbe interac- bership and Society publications Naomi has been an ASPB training in the United States. She tions. Katie’s outreach activities to distinguished plant biologists. member for years, and she has has worked to enhance the visibil- are especially noteworthy for The following individuals have attended many ASPB meet- ity of plant biology in Taiwan and promoting diversity and inclu- been nominated this year: ings. She has contributed greatly to secure valuable resources for siveness within the plant biology through her service on journal research and education on plants. community. Her activities include Naomi Ori editorial boards, performing an She has also been a champion serving as an early career repre- Hebrew University of Jerusalem impressive service to the interna- in promoting gender balance in sentative on the ASPB Women Naomi Ori is a professor at The tional research community as an the plant biology community in in Plant Biology Committee Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant editor and reviewer. She served as Taiwan and elsewhere. and as an ASPB Ambassador. Sciences and Genetics in the a senior editor of The Plant Cell, Although Shu-Hsing’s research Katie was named the 2020 ASPB Agriculture Faculty of the Hebrew and she is currently a guest editor. program is in a country outside the Ambassador of the Year for these University of Jerusalem in Israel. outstanding contributions. Shu-Hsing Wu United States, she has remained a Naomi investigated the mecha- dedicated ASPB member and active Academia Sinica nisms underlying the plasticity of participant in Society activities. She Excellence in Education plant development and patterning, Shu-Hsing Wu is director and has attended more than 25 annual Award distinguished research fellow/ and how plasticity is balanced with meetings and reviewed numerous Rupesh Kariyat developmental stability. Most of professor at the Institute of Plant manuscripts for ASPB journals. University of Texas, her research is dedicated to leaf and Microbial Biology, Academia Rio Grande Valley development and morphogenesis Sinica, in Taipei, Taiwan. Shu- in plants. Naomi’s research contrib- Hsing’s research is in the areas of Eric E. Conn Young This year’s Excellence in Education uted some of the first examples of transcriptional and posttranscrip- Investigator Award Award winner is Rupesh Kariyat. the cross talk between transcrip- tional regulation of plant gene Rupesh has an outstanding record Katherine M. Murphy tion factors and hormones in plant expression, photomorphogenesis, of excellence in teaching, mentor- development. Her group identified circadian clock, and systems biol- Donald Danforth Center ing, and educational outreach. several factors that affect the bal- ogy. She has also played a leadership Katie Murphy is recognized for Since joining the faculty in 2017, ance between morphogenesis and role in the field of plant miRNAs. her important contributions to Rupesh has excelled in the class- differentiation and showed that Shu-Hsing served as president of the field of environmental stress continued on page 10

ASPB NEWS | VOLUME 48, NUMBER 3 9 2021 AWARD WINNERS continued from page 9 room, evidenced in part by one class that underwent a seven-fold increase in student enrollment. Rupesh has mentored many graduate, undergraduate, and high school students, includ- ing first-generation students, and has published 15 research Beronda Montgomery Stacey Harmer Robert J. Ferl Kent Chapman articles with students as the first or second author. Rupesh’s and society at large. Beronda of Florida, was an early pioneer to the larger scientific commu- outreach activities include be- currently serves as a reviewing in plant molecular biology. His nity in significant ways, perhaps ing PI on a USDA Research and editor for The Plant Cell, and she focus on the environmental most notably as a rotating pro- Extension Experiential Learning is a member of the steering com- regulation of gene activity in gram director of the Division of for Undergraduate grant and mittee for the ASPB Forward plants became pioneering work Integrative Organismal Systems an ASPB Plant BLOOME grant initiative. on plants in space flight, more at NSF. He is an internationally for research and training of col- than 200 publications and pat- recognized leader in the field of Stacey Harmer lege students and schoolteach- ents, and recognition by NASA lipid research in plants and is well University of California, Davis ers. Rupesh is also a co-PI on a with the Exceptional Scientific known for his pioneering studies USDA Conservation Innovation Stacey Harmer, professor at the Achievement Medal. A fellow of on N-acylethanolamines, lipid On-Farm Trials grant to educate, University of California, Davis, multiple scientific societies, he droplet formation, and MALDI train, and support farmers in lo- is an internationally recognized has taken important leadership imaging for the study of lipid me- cally effective cropping strategies. leader in molecular mechanisms positions in American science, tabolism. In addition, Rupesh has published regulating circadian rhythms. She chaired National Academy stud- Marisa Otegui teaching and outreach articles in received the College of Biological ies, and written well-received University of Wisconsin–Madison Natural Sciences Education. Sciences research award, was textbooks. In addition to multiple a Chancellor’s Fellow, and was teaching awards, he has mentored Marisa Otegui is a professor in Fellow of ASPB Award elected fellow of AAAS. She serves a large group of postdocs and stu- the Department of Biology and as a monitoring editor for Plant the Center for Quantitative Cell Beronda Montgomery dents and had a unique impact on Physiology and was appointed to space biology in ASPB through Imaging at the University of Michigan State University the ASPB Program Committee in his educational materials and Wisconsin–Madison. Marisa is Beronda Montgomery, a profes- 2017. She is currently secretary- presentations from his team at the internationally recognized for her sor at Michigan State University, elect of ASPB, serving the first Southern Section and national creative combinations of genetic, works on understanding how year of her four-year term. While Plant Biology annual meetings. biochemical, and state-of-the-art photosynthetic organisms adapt secretary, she will be chair of imaging approaches to elucidate Kent Chapman to their environment. She is the the Program Committee and a the plant endomembrane system. University of North Texas recipient of an NSF CAREER member of the ASPB Board of In addition to being a highly ac- Award, is an MSU Foundation Directors. Stacey has been an Kent Chapman is currently complished plant cell biologist, Professor, and was elected fel- inspiration and mentor to many Regents Professor and director she is an exceptionally energetic low of the American Academy students and postdocs, and she of the BioDiscovery Institute at and dedicated member of ASPB of Microbiology and AAAS. mentors female scientists in the the University of North Texas. and the larger plant science com- Beronda was recently recognized UC Davis Women in Science and He has served ASPB in multiple munity. She was a member of as one of 100 Inspiring Black Engineering program. capacities, including on the ASPB’s Women in Plant Biology Scientists in America. As exem- Board of Trustees and the Board Committee from 2012–2017, Robert J. Ferl plified in her book Lessons from of Directors, and has held mul- serving as chair from 2014. Plants, Beronda is unique among University of Florida tiple leadership positions for the ASPB members in the way she Robert J. Ferl, distinguished pro- Southern Section. Kent is cur- uses plant biology for the better- fessor and assistant vice president rently a reviewing editor for The ment of underserved individuals for research at the University Plant Cell and has contributed

10 ASPB NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2021 Marisa Otegui Jeff Dangl (with Sarah Grant) Detlef Weigel Vicki Chandler

Martin Gibbs Medal Academy of Microbiology, balance a taxonomically limited enable artificial miRNA technol- NAS, and the German National microbiome from native soils. ogy. He has been a pioneer in Jeff Dangl Academy of Sciences Leopoldina The Martin Gibbs Medal exploiting natural genetic varia- University of North Carolina, and is a fellow of AAAS. Jeff holds honors “an individual who has tion to understand the adaptive Chapel Hill an honorary doctorate from the pioneered advances that have value in plant functions from Jeff Dangl is awarded the 2021 Hebrew University of Jerusalem served to establish new direc- development to immunity, Martin Gibbs Medal for his out- and has won many awards, tions of investigation in the plant heterosis, and response to envi- standing contributions to our including the ASPB Stephen sciences.” Jeff has revolutionized ronmental change. His vision of understanding of how plants Hales Prize in 2009. our understanding of plant– using multiple genome sequences manage interactions with both Jeff has made seminal research microbe interactions in ways that to study genetic variation enabled pathogenic and mutualistic contributions to our understand- have introduced new paradigms his studies and formed the basis microorganisms. After receiv- ing of the molecular players that across biology. for widely used resources from ing his PhD in genetics from define the plant immune system, the 1001 Genomes Project and the Stanford University Medical critical for protecting food crops Stephen Hales Prize online tools that allowed many School, Jeff spent four years from pathogens. His work led to labs to exploit genetic variation Detlef Weigel as a postdoctoral fellow in the the first coherent model of the for other research questions. Department of Biochemistry at plant immune system and, in fact, Max Planck Institute for the Max Planck Institute for Plant the first use of that term, which is Developmental Biology Leadership in Public Breeding Research in Cologne, now found in several biology text- Detlef Weigel is executive direc- Service Award Germany, moving to become a books. Jeff’s work on the mecha- tor of the Max Planck Institute for Vicki Chandler group leader in the institute’s Max nism of action of NLR proteins Developmental Biology. He has Delbrück Laboratorium. It was (named for their nucleotide made notable discoveries in diverse Minerva Schools there that he started his program binding and leucine-rich repeat areas of plant molecular genetics, Vicki is Regent’s Professor, Emerita to identify disease resistance loci domains) that “recognize” patho- fostered generations of talent, and at the University of Arizona and in Arabidopsis. gen virulence factors (effectors) through his collaborative network Provost of Minerva Schools at In 1995 Jeff became associ- leading to activation of successful made tools and genetic resources the Keck Graduate Institute. She ate professor at the University immune responses has guided available to colleagues around the was elected to the U.S. National of North Carolina at Chapel subsequent discoveries in the globe. Detlef has promoted the Academy of Sciences in 2002 and Hill, where he is currently the mammalian immune system. Jeff’s plant biology community at the later served on its governing coun- John N. Couch Distinguished discovery that NLR proteins can international level through service cil. Subsequently Vicki served as Professor in the Department of recognize modified-self molecules on numerous advisory and editorial Chief Program Officer for Science Biology and adjunct professor led to the guard hypothesis of boards, including 10 years as coedi- at the Gordon and Betty Moore of microbiology and immunol- plant defenses. Jeff has addition- tor of The Plant Cell. Foundation where she made a stra- ogy in the School of Medicine; ally been a pioneer in defining a Detlef’s early plant work tegic investment in the first HHMI- he is also a Howard Hughes new research discipline to under- led to direct evidence for long- GBMF investigators (plant science) Medical Institute–Gordon and stand how the plant microbiome distance signaling to induce flow- program. She was appointed to Betty Moore Foundation plant contributes to plant growth and ering, and his seminal discovery the National Science Board by science investigator. Jeff is an productivity, showing that plants of a microRNA mutant provided President Obama in 2014, and she elected member of the American specifically recruit, maintain, and the foundational knowledge to is a past president of ASPB. 

ASPB NEWS | VOLUME 48, NUMBER 3 11 ASPB’s 2021 Women’s Young Investigator Travel Award Winners Announced

ach year, ASPB, through its Congratulations to all of the 2021 WYITA winners! Women in Plant Biology ECommittee, makes travel awards to early career women investigators to attend the Plant Biology conference. The goal of the competitive process that underpins the Women’s Young Investigator Travel Award (WYITA) program is to increase attendance of early career women investigators at the Plant Biology conference by pro- viding travel funds. Because of the pandemic and Karin Albornoz Michal Breker-Dekel Leila Feiz Namrata Jaiswal its related effects, and to protect the University of Concepción, The Hebrew University Boyce Thompson Institute, USDA–ARS, U.S. safety and health of our members Concepción, Chile of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Cornell University, Ithaca, Vegetable Laboratory, and community, the ASPB Board CBF1 Overexpression Israel New York Charleston, South of Directors decided to convene and the Regulation of Utilizing Novel Genetic Functional Characteri­ Carolina Plant Biology 2021 as a fully virtual Postharvest Chilling Tools to Unravel zation of Aphid Salivary Tomato GCN5-Related meeting. Because physical travel Injury in Tomato Fruit Key Players in the Proteins and Their Histone Acetyltransferase will not be necessary, the WYITA Photosynthetic Cell-Size Effects on Plant–Insect Is Required for Plant has been reframed as a conference Regulatory Network Interactions Defense Responses and attendance award. Growth Applications are open to scientists from around the world who are within the first five years of their appointment in academic faculty-level positions, govern- ment research positions, or indus- try research scientist positions, as well as to experienced post- docs. Selection is based on the science and quality of the abstract submitted, relative to the appli- cant’s amount of time as an early Devanshi Khokhani Jerlie Mhay Matres Nadine Töpfer career investigator; a statement describing why their attendance University of Minnesota, International Rice Leibniz Institute of should be supported; and finan- St. Paul Research Institute, Los Plant Genetics and Crop cial need. Cross-Kingdom Baños, Philippines Plant Research, Seeland, Seven women—listed here, Microbial Associations A Sink and Source Germany along with their abstract titles— for Efficient Transfer Approach for Develop­ Alternative CAM Modes were selected this year, and each of Biologically Fixed ment of Iron- and Zinc- Provide Environment- will receive an attendance award Nitrogen to Crops Biofortified Rice Specific Water-Saving to support their participation at Benefits in a Leaf Plant Biology 2021. Metabolic Model 

12 ASPB NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2021 Plant Biology 2021

74 Reasons Not to Miss the Plant Biology 2021 Worldwide Summit

Worldwide Summit 4 Plenary Symposia 1 Joint Symposium with the July 19–23 As with every Plant Biology conference, the Botanical Society of America plenary symposia serve as the cornerstone of Offering a unique opportunity possible only onferences definitely give the science. Each session brings together up- in the virtual world, the programs of Botany you powerful ways to share to-date contributions in areas of research from 2021 and Plant Biology 2021 will come to- Cyour research and build around the globe. This year’s symposia are as gether in a shared scientific space. The two your career. However, at the end of follows: conferences overlap, so both organizations’ the day, the question is, How will Powering an rDNA-Enabled, Biomass- program committees wanted to find a way to you know that your attendance at Based, and Circular Bioeconomy create a collaborative scientific symposium, the conference was worthwhile? Maureen McCann, Chair as well as a unique opportunity for partici- We believe your Plant Biology pants to network jointly during an ensuing 2021 experience will be strongly Crop Productivity in a Changing World 30-minute open platform session. positive, and that the stellar sci- Kris Niyogi, Chair The symposium topic is Symbioses, and entific and education sessions and RNA: The Long and Short of It the cochairs are Heather Hallen-Adams, multiple networking opportunities Xuemei Chen, Chair University of Nebraska–Lincoln; Toby will advance your science and your Kellogg, Danforth Center; and Gary Stacey, career. Here’s why. Applications of Robotics, Sensing, and University of Missouri. Artificial Intelligence to Plant Science George Kantor, Chair

4 Scientific Sessions by ASPB Award Winners

Rick Vierstra Julian Schroeder Zachary Lippman Vicky Chandler Washington University University of California Cold Spring Harbor Provost and Chief in St. Louis San Diego Laboratory Academic Officer at the Minerva Schools

continued on page 14

ASPB NEWS | VOLUME 48, NUMBER 3 13 Plant Biology 2021

PLANT BIOLOGY 2021 28. Vitamin and Mineral Biology and No. 71—Countless New Ways continued from page 13 Biofortification to Build Your Career Network 29. Plant Plastid Origins and Evolution Before, During, and After Plant 29 Concurrent Symposia Biology 2021 1. Immune Signaling: The Plant Strikes Back 32 Workshops Reason No. 71 is actually many reasons, boiled 2. Insights into How to Build a Plant This year we have a great lineup of workshops: down to building your professional network. 3. Signaling Modules: They Talk to One 32 of them, in three tracks—Equity, Diversity, We learn that the best way to network is to do Another and Inclusion; Professional Development; about 15 things before we arrive at a meet- and Technical Development and Innovation. ing, but who has that kind of time? Instead, 4. Plants and the Environment Here are just a few (you may view them all at most of us rely heavily on the amazing chance 5. Creating the Next Generation https://plantbiology.aspb.org/workshops/): encounters and informal networking sessions 6. Temperature Responses y Beyond Law—Providing Accessibility and that typically occur during a conference. These are all the more important in the virtual space, 7. Genetics and Genomics in Diverse Species Inclusion Just Because where there is no chance to run into the one y 8. Insights into Genome-wide Regulation of Bioeconomy Careers Beyond Academia person you’ve wanted to meet in the hallway, Gene Expression y Tips and Advice for Navigating Grad in the hotel elevator, or (best of all) sitting 9. Responses to Water Stress School: A Q&A Panel Presented by the next to you on the flight to the conference. Early Career Plant Scientists Section However, the Plant Biology 2021 platform 10. Strength and Specificity in the Cell Wall y Delivering Your Message: Tools for Better has risen to the challenge of making your 11. Advances in Instrumentation, Presentations networking opportunities a key and enhanced Visualization, and Analysis component of the meeting. y 12. Patterns and Consequences of Molecular Building an International Career First, 2 weeks before the meeting (begin- Evolution y Workshop and Hackathon on Improving ning July 5), you can set up your profile and list all the areas you are interested in, allowing 13. Cell Biology: Homeostasis and Trafficking Orphan Crops to Foster Bioeconomies, sponsored by OCP North America you to connect with others who have the same 14. Light Responses interests. And for the next 2 weeks, during y “Our Lab”: Building an Inclusive Lab the meeting and afterwards, you can commu- 15. Photosynthesis and Bioenergy Culture nicate with fellow attendees, exhibitors, and 16. Biochemistry and Metabolism y FlowerNetPheno: Detection of Flowers speakers. 17. Transcriptional Regulation to Plant Based on Spatio-temporal Image Sequence Because the platform provides you with Development and Environmental Analysis Using Deep Learning Techniques your own video chat feature, you can invite Response for Event-Based Plant Phenotyping someone to chat, talk, or just text with you. 18. Plants: The Master Chemists y Plant Biology for Crop Nitrogen Use And if you find enough participants interested 19. Pathogenicity: The Dark Side of Plant– Efficiency and Sustainable Nitrogen in a particular topic or area, you can even set Microbe Interactions Management up your own impromptu “hallway” network- ing session. y Advances in Plant Biology and Sustainable 20. Uses of and Advances in Gene Editing Plant Biology 2021 is also structured to Agriculture in the Middle East and North 21. Education and Outreach encourage conversations with session speak- Africa, cosponsored by United Arab ers. All concurrent symposia for 2021 will 22. Plant Responses to Diverse Environments Emirates University and King Abdullah feature a 30-minute live chat with speakers University of Science and Technology 23. Microbes Playing Nicely with Plants after their talks, giving you a chance to ask 24. Biotechnological Approaches to Solve y The Biotechnology of HIGS and SIGS for questions or discuss research with presenters Food and Nutrition Problems Plant Pest Resistance: What Works, What in greater depth. Doesn’t, What’s Next? 25. Pattern, Color, Texture, Shape: New Ideas In addition, of course, there will be in Plant Development y Systems Thinking Framework for Plant networking meetings by topic or special inter- Science Undergraduate Education est, as well as several social gatherings. 26. Plant Proteostasis: Mechanisms That You can plan on using social media to let y Shape the Proteome Landscape Accessing Genomes and Plant folks know you are attending Plant Biology 27. Discoveries in Computational Plant Ecosystems—One SMRT Cell at a Time 2021 before and during the meeting. You’ll be Science y Marine Farming—Biotech for the Oceans able to make comments about the platform

14 ASPB NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2021 Plant Biology 2021

and sessions through the inbuilt chat function, discussions on poster topics. All this means tend different sessions and workshops! Then as well as on your own and the conference’s that this particular conference will offer many afterwards, you can get together in your chat social media sites. In addition, you can post excellent ways to highlight your research. room or networking session and share key reviews of the event and, most importantly, insights with your fellow group members. keep up with the new friends and colleagues No. 73—Have Fun and There are group rates for groups of all sizes, you meet. Participate in the Scavenger and this year you don’t have to all be from Hunt with Exhibitors one organization, as long as you have at least No. 72—Present Your Research five people, each with their own email ad- Back for a second year is our well-attended The poster platform for this year’s meeting dress. Instructions for registering a group can trivia night, hosted by ASPB’s Early Career is simple to use, and it includes some great be found on the registration page at https:// Plant Scientists Section. But that’s not all—there outreach features. Virtual meetings allow oth- plantbiology.aspb.org/register/. are many other virtual social events in the plan- ers to see your research 24 hours a day. They Keep up with all the details about the Plant ning. And you will want to participate in the can set up appointments, or you can desig- Biology 2021 Worldwide Summit and more at scavenger hunt by visiting our exhibitors; there nate your preferred times to meet during the plantbiology.aspb.org. PB21 will be happen- conference. Remember: Posters and all other will be daily Amazon gift card prizes, and the ing all over the globe from offices, homes, and content are accessible to registered attendees grand mystery prize is a good one! maybe even the beach! Share your thoughts at #PlantBio21.  for a full year. And Finally, No. 74— For 2021, there is also an easy-to-use video chat feature that allows you to invite others Group Rates to see your poster or give a brief overview. If you can take advantage of our group rates You can post the video on any social media by signing up with others, not only will you platform and invite others to meet with you at save money, but you can “divide and conquer” a specified time. There will also be organized by sending members of your group to at-

Call for Mentors!

We are all thankful for the men- tion, experienced professionals communication, interaction, and professional development tors in our life. Pay it forward have the opportunity to share and collaboration. needs. As part of the sign-up and become a mentor yourself. their wisdom with the next For the mentoring platform process, you can indicate the ASPB has a mentoring plat- generation of plant scientists. to continue to grow, we need type of mentoring you are inter- form through the Plantae Job Our hope is that the platform to recruit more mentors with ested in providing, your areas Center. This platform allows will not only help close the diverse backgrounds, expertise, of expertise, and the amount plant science professionals gap in career development and experience. Having a strong of time you have available to to find mentors familiar with opportunities for marginalized pool of mentors ensures that devote to mentoring.  their career development goals, groups, but will also serve as mentees can find a good match interests, and needs. In addi- an effective vehicle for cross based on their career goals

Sign up to become a mentor at https://jobs.plantae.org/eMentor/. You can also sign up to find a mentor!

ASPB NEWS | VOLUME 48, NUMBER 3 15 Changing Cultures and Climates: A New Online Resource for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion BY JUDY CALLIS, ASPB Past President and JOANNA FRIESNER, Executive Director, and TERRI LONG, Inclusivity Scholars Subcommittee Co-chair, North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee

SPB, in partnership with y to provide resources for ac- the North American tively addressing the impacts AArabidopsis Steering of institutional racism on Committee (NAASC), has created STEM environments, and an online hub, Changing Cultures plant biology specifically. and Climates, for resources Visit the Changing Climates aimed at improving diversity in and Cultures page on Plantae to the plant sciences (http://bit.ly/ find PlantaeCCC). The mission of y posters for your lab Changing Cultures and Climates y is to provide information that notices of events related to eq- supports and promotes equity, uity, diversity, and inclusion diversity, and inclusion in the y the Front and Center chan- international plant science com- nel—a place to meet col- munity so that it grows to more leagues and see highlights on accurately reflect our larger, Black, Indigenous, and Latine global society. plant scientists The site is a living collection y the Adventitious Roots page— of impactful literature about information and an invitation culture and gender matters, to join a safe space Discord information about programs and server for plant scientists in initiatives that focus on increas- unsupportive scientific envi- ing and sustaining diversity in ronments based on their eth- send submissions on the form at action. In addition, NAASC plant science, and a safe space to nicity or race to seek advice, http://bit.ly/PlantaeCCC. will hold a workshop at the learn more about one another and support, or a listening ear This is an important initia- International Conference on to discuss topics around equity, y tive for ASPB and NAASC, and Arabidopsis Research 2021 in diversity, and inclusion that the Anti-Racism Toolkit— collections of resources for we appreciate your engagement, June to share brief reports on new impact our community. feedback, and input. Many thanks activities and partnerships from The objectives of Changing building a culture based on racial justice to make a better for your commitment to helping the past year and provide ample Cultures and Climates are our community become more opportunity for you to share y space for all to incorporate a safe virtual diverse, more welcoming, and your thoughts as part of a lively y space for Black, Indigenous, ASPB and NAASC initiatives more inclusive. conversation. and people of color and other related to equity, diversity, and ASPB will be holding a break- As the Changing Climates minoritized folk to share ex- inclusion. fast panel, Building Sustained and Cultures resource hub grows, periences and access resources As a living hub, we welcome Commitments to Equity and we hope to promote change in y to create a rich and interactive suggestions for additional Inclusion, at the Plant Biology our community. We also hope to venue that empowers all plant resources from the plant science 2021 Worldwide Summit to increase our collaboration with scientists to become better community. Please email Katie continue the discussion and additional plant-related societies.  informed Rogers at [email protected] or convert these conversations into

16 ASPB NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2021 Meet Sabrina Chin, 2021 Ambassador of the Year

’m Sabrina Chin, a research by doing so. The highlight of associate at the University my role as an ambassador was IWisconsin–Madison in Simon writing the Unsung Heroes of Gilroy’s lab. I currently work Plant Biology article on Marcela on NASA-funded projects with Tello-Ruiz published in the Simon and Elison Blancaflor, January/February edition of studying gene expression changes the ASPB News (https://bit.ly/ in gravity-sensing cells during ASPBNewsJanFeb2021). It was gravity simulation and the effects extremely rewarding to hear from of microgravity on the plant cell her that she enjoyed the article wall and root hair development. and to have created a pedestal I received my BS with a for her experiences as a Latina double major, one in cell molecu- scientist. I strongly recommend lar biology and the other in to students that they participate immunology and microbiology, in ASPB activities to explore from the Australian National their scientific and nonscientific University in Canberra, Australia. interests. I then switched to plant sciences I am also privileged to be and did my honors studies with an early career representative Ulrike Mathesius working on on the Women in Plant Biology RNAi delivery via transgenic Committee and a member of the roots to parasitic root-knot nema- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion todes. I eventually did my PhD subcommittee of the Early Career under her guidance on the role Plant Scientists Section. We are of flavonoids in mediating host– working on producing webinars, a parasite interactions during root- my postdoctoral fellowship (our learned that the plant science resource hub, and more initiatives knot nematode infection. NASA projects were recently community is an anchor for to showcase underrepresented Through my honors and PhD transferred to the University of scientists at every stage, particu- scientists. dissertations, I began to appreci- Wisconsin–Madison because of larly students. It was a natural Finally, I’d like to thank the ate the sophistication of parasitic organizational restructuring at progression for me to continue ASPB Council and staff and the infection in orchestrating essen- Noble Research Institute). volunteering by joining the ASPB other ambassadors for creating tial and basal host responses, During my PhD studies, I was Ambassador Program when I an avenue for me to contribute particularly those of root-knot fortunate to be in the company moved to the United States. and learn. I would also like to nematodes, which infect more of great peers and colleagues So far, my experience with extend my gratitude to Elison and than 300 plant species. I real- who offered me opportunities to the ASPB Ambassador Program to dedicate this award to him for ized that to study interactions volunteer for professional societ- has been extremely rewarding, being an excellent mentor and at that scale, I needed to learn ies; I worked with the Australian and I have enjoyed being able to encouraging me to participate in more about bioinformatics and Society of Plant Scientists and do interesting nonbench roles. ASPB.  root development. Thus, after my the International Society of Root For instance, I was able to help PhD, I worked on Simon’s NASA Research when they organized moderate concurrent sympo- project on root transcriptomics their conferences in Canberra. sia for Plant Biology 2020 and at Noble Research Institute for Through these experiences, I got to know other ambassadors

ASPB NEWS | VOLUME 48, NUMBER 3 17 Unsung Heroes

Welcome to the ASPB News “Unsung Heroes of Plant Biology” column! These stories, brought to you by the ASPB Ambassador Program, showcase the vital contributions of non-tenure-track scientists in plant biology. Contact Shawna Rowe, ASPB ambassador and column editor, at [email protected] with questions or comments.

Chrislyn Particka Michigan State University BY ANNE-SOPHIE BOHRER ASPB Ambassador, Postdoctoral Researcher at Michigan State University

hrislyn Particka is direc- similar to the ones she had had tor of the Michigan State in her previous job, the research CUniversity (MSU) Plant endeavors were completely Science Research Greenhouse different, focusing on the devel- Facility, where she and her team opment of sustainable biofuels facilitate the successful green- and bioproducts from bioenergy house research endeavors of MSU crops grown on nonagricul- plant researchers. tural lands. In this role, Chrislyn When she was a teenager, did a complete overhaul of the Chrislyn’s family bought a blue- GLBRC Research Experiences for berry farm in Arkansas, which Undergraduates program, “which later expanded to growing black- was probably the most rewarding berries, raspberries, apples, and part of that job, and really fun for Asian pears. From then, Chrislyn me—to bring the students in and got interested in fruit horticulture. help them figure out if they want- When Chrislyn was a senior in ed to go to grad school or not.” high school, Curt Rom, professor PHOTO BY DERRICK L. TURNER/UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS When Chrislyn wanted to in the Horticulture Department get back to her horticulture roots at the University of Arkansas, and felt she was ready for more convinced her to major in horti- followed by a PhD at MSU with the skills I have in other areas. I responsibilities, she transitioned culture. At the same time, she also Jim Hancock, where she studied realized I was good at research to her role as director of the Plant discovered molecular biology and resistance to a strawberry root management and this administra- Science Research Greenhouse how scientists could make plants disease. tive side of science.” Additionally, Facility at MSU. At the same time, glow using a firefly gene. After After a 5-year industry expe- Chrislyn was actively involved in MSU had made great progress a summer internship in which rience following grad school, the outreach component of the to bring attention to the aging she mainly did molecular work, Chrislyn moved to upstate New project, working directly with condition of the greenhouses and Chrislyn saw the value and the York and started a job as a coordi- growers to help them make their had requested a $20 million capi- importance of lab work to develop nator for a USDA Specialty Crops businesses successful by facilitat- tal outlay project from the state of a successful breeding program, Research Initiative grant led by ing the delivery of information Michigan. “The chance to lead the but she decided that it was no fun Tim Martinson on cold-hardy they needed. facility through a major upgrade being stuck in the lab when she grapes at Cornell University. Chrislyn and her family even- and a broad-scale improvement could be outside instead. From Chrislyn reflected, “I really tually moved back to Michigan, was pretty enticing and exciting there, she continued her studies thrived in that job, and it was and she joined the DOE-funded to think about,” Chrislyn recalled. in horticulture with an emphasis a turning point for me to find Great Lakes Bioenergy Research “MSU was the pioneer land grant on fruit breeding. She pursued a this other career path where I Center (GLBRC) at MSU as a college in the United States, and it master’s degree with John Clark could still use my degree and my research coordinator. Although is really important to me that we at the University of Arkansas, scientific knowledge while flexing her responsibilities were very don’t lose sight of our roots and

18 ASPB NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2021 Unsung Heroes

how we support farmers. With MSU announced in March 2021 pandemic, and Chrislyn’s focus make a difference in the quality of climate change and everything that they would dedicate $4 has been to help users find space, research that everyone is able to that is making it harder for farm- million to support the greenhouse enable them to collect material do, because it is important to me ers to be successful, there needs facility over the next few years. and data, and make sure their to keep the science that founded to be ongoing research to figure “It is going to make a big differ- overall research needs are being this land grant university at its out how to raise good crops, and ence,” Chrislyn said. “From the met. In the long term, Chrislyn best.” the greenhouse facility plays a large-scale renovation plans I had, hopes to achieve the complete In her spare time, Chrislyn part in it.” I am going to decide what can be overhaul of the greenhouses so enjoys baking and cooking, read- Six months into her new role, done now to benefit the biggest she and her team can focus on ing, spending time in her yard, the pandemic hit. Although the numbers of greenhouse users.” offering more services to facility and camping—no need for a big improvements might not The facility has remained users. “My hope for this massive Wi-Fi connection! The quieter, happen for another few years, open and operational during the improvement of the facility is to the better. 

Call for Paers 2022 Focus Issue on Plant Biotic Interactions Edited by Roger Innes, Cris Argueso, Yangnan Gu, Libo Shan, Dorothea Tholl, and Mary Williams

Submission Deadline: September 1, 2021

For more information, go to http://bit.ly/TPC_FocusIssues

ASPB NEWS | VOLUME 48, NUMBER 3 19 Luminaries

Welcome to the ASPB News “Luminaries” column. Student and postdoc members are invited to submit their ideas for a 500- to 750-word interview they might like to conduct with a prominent scientist. Contact Membership Committee Chair Ruth Welti at [email protected], who will help you develop some questions to frame your story. If we publish your interview, you will receive a $50 Amazon gift card.

Ian Newman Honorary Research Associate, Biophysics, University of Tasmania BY ANDREW EGESA ASPB Ambassador, University of Florida

bachelor’s degree in those subjects programming required for good school, I got interested in physics at the University of Sydney. He functionality of MIFE, essentially because of the way my physics then completed an honors research updating what he had worked teacher used to teach. My love of degree at the University of Tasmania on while on sabbatical. Ian was physics, mathematics, and chem- in the biophysics lab under Bruce supported in these studies by his istry and the early influence of my Scott’s supervision, after which he postdoc, Sergey Shabala, who is father contributed to my future enrolled for part-time PhD studies now well known in the membrane research in biophysics. During an an Newman is an honorary and continued working in Bruce’s transport field. Ian retired from academic trip to the University research associate in biophysics lab. During this time, he was also teaching in 1996 and continued of Tasmania, I was intrigued by at the University of Tasmania I tutoring and demonstrating at developing MIFE for diverse demonstrations of Bruce Scott’s (http://bit.ly/IanNewmanTasmania). the physics lab to undergraduate applications, especially for the use of physics in making mea- During his long teaching and students. elucidation of membrane func- surements on plants. Therefore, I research career, he has published On completing his PhD in widely in the field of plant bio- tions and for nutrient uptake decided to come to the University physics, especially on membrane 1965, Ian realized that Tasmania measurements. of Tasmania to take an honors re- transport and ion flux measure- was a very lovely place to live, so Ian has developed dry age- search degree in Bruce’s lab. ments. He developed the mi- he settled there. He got married related macular degeneration, and was appointed a lecturer in a condition associated with the Who influenced your scientific croelectrode ion flux estimation thinking early in your career? (MIFE), an automated technique medical biophysics to teach basic death of cells in the central part Just at the beginning of my PhD, for measuring membrane trans- physics and biology to medical of the eye, leading to blindness. several studies were published port such as nutrient uptake students, beginning a 30-year Ian first noticed difficulty reading by plant roots (http://bit.ly/ career as a lecturer and a senior a section of a poster with small on auxins and their transport MIFEsystem). This technology is lecturer while continuing with print and low contrast at a confer- in plants, in particular work by commercially available and widely his research in plant biophysics. ence in 2005. By late 2020, it had Winslow Briggs on the move- used in plant science research. Essentially, Ian made electri- become impossible to read unless ment of the growth hormone Ian was born in Sydney, cal measurements of plants in the text was very large; the limited auxin across the tip of an Avena Australia, in 1936. He grew up in a variety of ways and ended up reading he does now is with the coleoptile. When light is shone Sydney and then Wellington, New developing MIFE, a noninva- use of peripheral vision. onto it, the auxin moves away Zealand. At the age of 12, his father sive microelectrode technique from the illuminated side toward was appointed to head the Botany automated to measure nutrient What got you interested in plant the darker side, so the darker Department of the University of uptake by plant roots or any other biology in general, and what side grows more. When I saw the Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), so the tissue in a solution. This effort influences directed you to your work described, I said to myself, family moved to Colombo. After was stimulated in particular by a specific area of research? “I want to make measurements of a year and a half, Ian returned to sabbatical with Bill Lucas at the During the early days, my father, the electrical potential across the Sydney for his high school and University of California, Davis, a botanist, used to take me along coleoptile,” and that was the main undergraduate studies. in 1985. After Ian got back to on excursions with his students, feature of my PhD. He had a liking for mathemat- Tasmania in 1986, he contin- where he would explain things I started working on devel- ics and physics, so he earned his ued to work on the design and happening in nature. In high oping a system for measuring

20 ASPB NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2021 Luminaries

electric current in Avena coleop- called a membrane or a cell wall. a royalty. I decided to donate the pany you do not know completely, tile using the systems laid out by Research led to discovery of the royalty to a university foundation and look at the opportunities from Leicester McAulay, the founder nature of the lipid bilayer mem- fund that supports students work- the point of view of your back- of the biophysics lab at the brane and its distinction from the ing with the MIFE technique to ground to make decisions on what University of Tasmania, and his cell wall with the complex micro- attend conferences in Australia to join or what suits you best. predecessor, my then-supervisor fibril and other structures. The and overseas. Attendance at Bruce Scott. My first two publi- cell wall is required to withstand conferences is a crucial thing, and What advice would you give to a cations were about this work, turgor pressure, whereas the cell I think current graduate students student interested in plant biol- first to show that there was an membrane controls the turgor it- should start doing this early. ogy today? electrical wave that moved down self in terms of water and nutrient You need to have a broad over- the coleoptile when the light was exchange. As an employer, what are the key view of and basic background in shone on it, and then with some The discovery of semiconduc- qualities you look for in a poten- science, including mathematics, radioactive indolyl-3-acetic acid tor junctions happened while I tial team member? physics, biology, and chemistry, applied to the top to show that was at school. The development of I have not been out in the big among other subjects. These dif- the auxin moving down could diodes, transistors, and integrated world as an employer, but I have ferent subjects are especially nec- be traced and was linked to the circuits allowed me to develop the employed graduate students essary in plant science because for electric wave. These two papers equipment I wanted, and the gene whom I have supervised for their sound, good-quality research, you were letters to Nature, published revolution allowed us to start PhD. The very first quality, I sup- need well-defined research condi- in 1959 and 1965. With knowl- explaining the electrical observa- pose, is curiosity: Are you asking tions, plenty of repeated observa- edge of my work, Winslow Briggs tions we had made earlier, which questions? Almost automatically, tions under controlled conditions, invited me for a postdoc, and we had yet to be worked out. are you asking questions, about competent statistical analysis, worked on phytochromes and yourself even, little or otherwise? and reproducibility. Therefore, I phytochrome transformation with If you were able to repeat your What is going on? Why is this advise young graduate students to some electrical change. years as a graduate student or happening? I would like to find consider issues of quality as they Leicester had a key focus on postgrad, would you do any- more about this! The kind of cu- get involved in research. the ability to design and conduct thing differently? riosity that you see in a baby fool- What advice would you give a well-planned experiment In terms of technical things, I ing around on the floor—I have educators to encourage young with good statistical fidelity, so don’t think there is anything spe- seen that in my children, and you people to explore science and that it is reproducible, and with cial that I would have done differ- have seen young children, too. plant biology? well-defined conditions, so that ently. However, in looking back, They want to find out what’s going observations are fully communi- one important thing I should have on in this wonderful world we are Try to stimulate the excitement. cated and genuinely repeatable. done differently was to start going in—that kind of curiosity. I look I got interested in plant science Leicester, Bruce, and others in the to conferences earlier. In those for genuine curiosity in prospec- because my father took me on biophysics group followed these days, around the 1960s, I thought tive employees—those who want excursions with his students to approaches, which was unique conferences were attended by to know what is going on, those the bush and the seashore. He at the time because previously existing research scientists, not who have done some research. would take time to talk about methodologies had been poorly by students, even PhD students. In science, I look for personal the interesting things that were done. These clear methodological That was a mistake; it’s possible integrity and integrity in science, happening there—for example, approaches were also used by PhD that that perception was part of a respect for the observation in the marine algae and what they students in our lab, including me. mistake by the scientific societies concert with the raw data, vigi- were doing there, as well as other and conferences themselves. Of lance for unexpected results, and important processes that were go- What scientific discoveries over course, ASPB does not make that humility in the results. Of course, ing on. When I got back from a the past couple of years and mistake. So at present graduate they should have some relevant conference in the 1980s, when the decades have influenced your students in America, Australia, training and qualifications, as well. gene revolution was just begin- research directions? and other countries are encour- ning, there were these interesting After an early observation of plant aged to go to conferences. What do you think are good discussions by people trying to cell membrane potential, I wanted Because the MIFE system has career moves for young scientists? transform plants. I spoke about to find out more. In the 1950s become commercially viable and While choosing a career in plant that work on gene transformation and 1960s, there was still some has turned some profit, we have science, have clear reasons why to my students—that is an example discussion of whether the outer real income from it—not a huge you want to join a particular com- of giving new and important infor- boundary of a plant cell should be amount, but as an inventor, I get pany or group. Disregard the com- mation to stimulate interest. 

ASPB NEWS | VOLUME 48, NUMBER 3 21 Call for Papers 2022 Focus Issue on Evolution of Plant Structure and Function

Edited by Elizabeth A. Kellogg, Jill C. Preston, Neelima R. Sinha, and Keiko Torii Submission Deadline: January 1, 2022 Publication Date: September 2022 To submit an article, go to http://pphys.msubmit.net/.

Plant morphology, physiology, and development are shaped by a combination of internal, external, and historical factors that have led to the remarkable diversity of structure and function we can observe on Earth today. Recent progress in understanding the proximate basis of plant evolution has revealed a myriad of underlying mechanisms, ranging from the genetic and epigenetic to the biophysical and micro- biotic. This Focus Issue calls for review or research articles, short letters, and reports that provide novel insights into evolutionary mechanisms underpinning plant phenotypic variation. Work involving comparisons of disparate organisms (from between species to between kingdoms) is most welcome. The issue will be centered on timely topics, including but not limited to the role of epigenetic, small RNA, or phenotypic plasticity evolution in shaping plant form; the evolution of plant–microbe interactions; diversification of meristems, flowers, or root anatomy in an ecological context; and origins of CAM/C4 photosynthesis.

For inquiries, please email an issue editor: Elizabeth A. Kellogg ([email protected]) Jill C. Preston ([email protected]) Neelima R. Sinha ([email protected]) Keiko Torii ([email protected])

Authors submitting to this Focus Issue should indicate their intent in the cover letter when submitting manu- scripts online at http://pphys.msubmit.net/. Please select “Evolution of Plant Structure and Function” from the Focus Issue list in the online submission system. Articles published in Plant Physiology on this topic within 2 years before and after the Focus Issue publication date will be collected in an online Focus Collection. Science Policy

The information in this article was Policy Update accurate at the time of writing. BY VICTORIA HABER Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Congressional nology focus areas, including one y A full analysis of the Endless high-risk, high-reward proj- Updates for biotechnology, medical tech- Frontier Act can be found at ects to reduce emissions, build nology, genomics, and synthetic https://tinyurl.com/yswu736y. resilience, and support climate Proposals to Bolster Com- biology. The bill was brought to research across the board. In Biden Administration addition, $5 billion is included petitiveness Through NSF the floor for consideration under a new title, the U.S. Innovation Releases American Jobs to support and expand exist- Federal policy makers in the and Competition Act, and, after Plan ing climate research programs. House, Senate, and Biden admin- several days of debate and over On March 31, President Biden y $40 billion is included for istration are proposing separate 500 amendments, at the time of announced a signature legislative research infrastructure at approaches to improving U.S. this writing, the bill looks poised proposal focused on accelerat- research institutions and na- scientific competitiveness, but to pass the Senate. Both the House ing economic growth through an tional laboratories, including the approaches all revolve around and Senate bills only authorize ambitious $2.25 trillion stimulus research facilities and com- support for the National Science funding levels; appropriated fund- plan. The American Jobs Plan puting centers and networks. Foundation (NSF). The National ing would come from different The proposal does not specify would modernize America’s Science Foundation for the Future congressional committees. the distribution of funding infrastructure, spur climate ac- Act, introduced in the House ear- In addition, the Biden admin- across federal agencies, but it tion, strengthen the workforce lier this year, would authorize in- istration included $50 billion would include agencies such and education, and promote creased funding for NSF research, for NSF in the recently released as NSF and DOE. support STEM education at all U.S. global competitiveness. If American Jobs Plan for supporting y The proposal mentions that in- levels, increase opportunities for use-inspired research and improv- passed by Congress, these goals broadening participation, and cre- would be achieved through in- vesting in technological devel- ing U.S. scientific competitiveness. opments, including advanced ate a new Directorate for Science Both bills and the White House’s vestments in scientific research, and Engineering Solutions to ad- federal incentives and mandates, carbon dioxide reduction proposed plan show a burgeoning methods like advanced pave- dress societal grand challenges, in- encouragement of private sector interest in significantly boosting ments and other future-proof cluding climate change and other participation and public–private scientific funding, especially for technologies, can help mitigate environmental topics. partnerships, and policies that translational research. It is unclear and redress the impacts of en- The House bill contains address broad and longstanding how the different plans will come vironmental disparities. several provisions relevant to together, but it is clear that there is inequalities facing marginalized y The proposal also calls for sup- ASPB’s interests, including addi- support for increased NSF fund- and underserved populations. porting rural communities by tional support for climate change ing, the STEM workforce and Highlights include the following: research; research at the intersec- providing R&D funding to land education pipeline, and outcomes- y $50 billion is included for grant universities and helping tion of food, energy, and water; focused research. Finally, the NSF, part of it for creating a push the agriculture industry and reaffirmation of NSF’s role preview of the president’s fiscal new technology directorate. toward net-zero emissions. in sustaining biological collec- year (FY) 2022 budget request, y $35 billion would be invested tions. In the Senate, the Endless with full details released on May Congress will now work to across the federal government Frontier Act (EFA) was intro- 28, 2021, included $10.2 billion for translate the American Jobs Plan to support climate technol- duced by Majority Leader Chuck NSF overall, and also proposed a into legislation. The likelihood ogy R&D and mitigation Schumer (D-NY) and Todd Young new Directorate for Technology, of passage, either in whole or in (R-IN). The EFA proposes the techniques and practices. The Innovation, and Partnership. part, remains uncertain. creation of a new Translational proposal does not provide a Source and Additional Information and Innovation Directorate autho- Sources and Additional Information detailed breakdown by federal y rized at a level of $100 billion (the y The National Science agency but does highlight the The White House’s press re- House bill proposes a similar, but Foundation for the Future Act creation of a new Advanced lease can be found at https:// smaller new directorate). This is available at https://tinyurl. Research Projects Agency for tinyurl.com/ktbn288m. directorate would have 11 tech- com/2mcddhhc. Climate (ARPA-C) to fund continued on page 24

ASPB NEWS | VOLUME 48, NUMBER 3 23 Science Policy

POLICY UPDATE professionals, lengthy hiring Committee’s Agriculture, Rural includes an 18% boost in discre- continued from page 23 processes, and failure to pursue Development, and Food and Drug tionary spending, for a total of more diversity in the workforce. Administration Subcommittee to $1.522 trillion. A budget request House Science Committee These shortcomings, they argued, outline USDA’s plans for the up- was due to Congress the first Hearing on Rebuilding the are leading causes of the federal coming year. During his opening week in February, but was signifi- Federal Workforce government’s inability to compete remarks, he cited four pillars of cantly delayed by the transition The Subcommittee on with industry and academia in focus for the agency: (1) prioritiz- from the Trump administration Investigations and Oversight STEM talent recruitment. ing climate change and the unique and the need to fill key federal of the House Committee on Witnesses suggested solutions opportunity it presents to bring leadership positions. Science, Space, and Technology that varied widely, including public jobs and resources back to the ag- Although it is ultimately up to held a hearing examining the relations efforts and changes in ricultural community, (2) address- Congress to decide which propos- challenges facing the federal sci- compensation. In terms of specific ing systemic discrimination across als to embrace, modify, or reject entific workforce. Subcommittee employment mechanisms, Max USDA programs, (3) increasing as part of the annual appropria- Chairman Bill Foster (D-IL) used Stier, president and CEO of PPS, the profitability and resilience of tions process, Congress has been his opening remarks to outline called for more internship oppor- agriculture in the United States, waiting on the new administra- the inflection point facing the tunities for early career profes- and (4) emphasizing nutrition tion to highlight its major politi- federal workforce and the broader sionals that could lead to full-time insecurity in addition to food in- cal priorities and new funding R&D enterprise. He noted that employment. Andrew Rosenberg, security. initiatives. President Biden’s top the House and Senate have “duel- director of the Center for Science Vilsack drew attention to FY2022 budget priorities are ing proposals” for substantially and Democracy at UCS, suggested some ongoing and upcoming public health, climate and clean increasing investment in federal that federal agencies be more initiatives to address these over- energy, and education. Proposed scientific research but pointed aggressive in their outreach to arching themes. He stated the FY2022 funding levels for major out that enabling such a ramp-up minority serving institutions intention to reestablish the task federal research and education would require an accompany- as a means to address a lack of force on resilience and drought agencies of interest are as follows: ing strategy for reinvigorating diversity in the federal workforce. that was in place during the y $10.2 billion for NSF, a $1.7 the federal scientific workforce Candice Wright, acting director of Obama administration and set billion or 20% increase over that oversees research programs Science, Technology Assessment, up the Civilian Climate Corps. the FY2021 enacted level. Key and performs research at federal and Analytics at GAO, suggested Ongoing initiatives include elements include $9.4 billion to facilities. Ranking Member Jay that agencies offer increased pay expanding climate hubs, work- support fundamental research Obernolte (R-CA), new to the to compete with industry’s ability ing on flood mitigation practices, across NSF, an increase of subcommittee, emphasized the to attract young talent with more and filling the 100 positions at the $1.6 billion or 25%; establish- importance of empowering fed- lucrative salaries. Finally, there was National Institute of Food and ment of a new Directorate for eral agencies to be entrepreneur- unanimous agreement that agen- Agriculture that remain vacant. Technology, Innovation, and ial in their recruitment tactics. cies—except NASA—were not Partnership to strengthen U.S. Members of the subcommit- doing enough to tout their own Source and Additional Information leadership in emerging tech- tee heard from the witnesses, missions and frame their open y The full hearing is available nology areas; $1.2 billion for which included current and positions as opportunities to serve for viewing at https://tinyurl. climate and clean energy–re- former officials with the the American public. com/2y64rw37. lated research, an increase of Government Accountability Source and Additional Information $500 million or 71%; $100 mil- Office (GAO), Partnership for y A full recording of the hearing Federal Agency lion for programs to increase Public Service (PPS), Union of along with written statements and Administration participation in STEM fields, Concerned Scientists (UCS), and is available at https://tinyurl. Updates an increase of 50%; and sup- Environmental Protection Agency, com/wxxcmaed. port for construction of major about root causes of the scientific President’s FY2022 Discre- NSF facilities and new smaller workforce recruitment and reten- tion challenges. Witnesses cited Appropriations Commit- tionary Budget Proposal research facilities and equip- negative public perceptions of tee Hearing on USDA’s On May 28, President Biden re- ment across the United States. working in government following Year Ahead leased his first budget request to y $46.1 billion for DOE, a $4.3 political interference in science- On April 14, Secretary of Congress. Unrestrained by legally billion or 10% increase over based decision making, scarce Agriculture Tom Vilsack appeared imposed budget caps for the first the FY2021 enacted level, opportunities for early career before the House Appropriations time in a decade, this proposal including $7.4 billion for the

24 ASPB NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2021 Science Policy

Office of Science, an increase Source and Additional Information the Executive Order and the ad- Committee Chair David Scott of $400 million or 6%, with y A full analysis is available at ministration’s goals. (D-GA) will make climate targeted investments in cli- https://tinyurl.com/23ded2bz. Agriculture Secretary Tom change a major priority in addi- mate change modeling, new Vilsack and Senior Climate tion to equity in agriculture and materials for clean energy Increasing Emphasis on and Agriculture Policy Advisor nutrition. Both the House and technologies, and construc- Intersection Between Robert Bonnie also plan to the Senate kicked off the 117th tion of user facilities at DOE Climate and Agriculture release a report on climate change Congress with hearings focused national laboratories. in the spring that will outline the on climate change, and hearings The Biden administration has sector’s contributions to climate with leaders and stakeholders in y $51 billion for NIH, an increase made clear that combating cli- change and environmental qual- the climate and agriculture space of $8.1 billion. The funding in- mate change will be a top prior- ity and steps USDA will take over are expected to continue. crease would include $110 mil- ity for the duration of his term the next four years to address Farther on the horizon, lion, an increase of $100 million and that the agriculture sector these issues. It is anticipated that conversations around the 2023 over the FY2021 enacted level, will play a role in meeting those carbon sequestration, regenera- Farm Bill are beginning to take for NIH’s Climate Change aspirations. The administration tive agriculture, and soil health place. Although two years and an and Human Health program will take a “whole-of-government will be areas of interest, in addi- election will happen before then, to focus on issues related to approach” to the climate crisis tion to a continued focus on congressional leaders are likely to the health impacts of climate as exemplified by the January artificial intelligence and machine push for the inclusion of climate change with a focus on health 27 Executive Order “Tackling learning to improve resource use provisions and will be open to equity. the Climate Crisis at Home and in farming. new ideas for addressing climate Abroad,” which laid out a series of In Congress, new leader- change and agriculture. y $27.8 billion for USDA, a $3.8 actions for climate change mitiga- ship on both the House and Sources and Additional Information billion increase, including tion and resilience that agencies Senate Agriculture Committees y The January 27 Executive $4 billion for the Research, should take. The Executive Order will focus on addressing climate Order can be found at https:// Education, and Economics specified several information impacts. Senate Agriculture tinyurl.com/zy6jbewe. mission area and a $40 mil- collection activities, and USDA Committee Chair Debbie lion increase for USDA cli- released a request for information Stabenow (D-MI) has said that y USDA’s request for public mate hubs to expand climate to collect “input on a climate- climate change, supply chains, comment is available at https:// science tools and increase smart agriculture and forestry and the effects of COVID-19 on tinyurl.com/3356wnun.  awareness and engagement in strategy” that will inform some of farmers will be top priorities. combating climate change. the department’s steps to support Similarly, House Agriculture

Share Your Moment in the Spotlight with ASPB Members!

ASPB would like to highlight news coverage about plant science. If you or your research is being highlighted in newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies, online, or other sources, please let us know! Just send a quick note, URL, and other relevant information to ASPB News production manager Diane McCauley at [email protected].

ASPB NEWS | VOLUME 48, NUMBER 3 25 Education Forum

Support, Even from Six Feet Apart: An ASPB SURFer’s Experience BY MARTY ALANI, 2020 ASPB SURF Recipient

hen I applied for a regular updates on the mutant SURF fellowship in populations and maintained them WJanuary of 2020, I for me, setting me up for success thought the biggest challenge I when I was allowed back into lab. would experience in the program Gordon Younkin, a grad would be having my experiments student in the lab, trained me in succeed. But in early March, it the basics of mass spectrometry, became clear that would not be crucial for screening the mutant the case. At my school, Cornell populations for phenotypes of University, classes went entirely interest. Georg, Gordon, and online, and undergraduates were other lab members continued denied access to research labs. As to help me manage my plants an added challenge to an already when my injury prevented me difficult year, I broke my leg at the from doing so myself, and their end of the semester and lost much help throughout the summer of my mobility. Despite the na- was crucial for my SURF experi- tionwide crisis, ASPB maintained ence. Because of the pandemic, the SURF program. Thanks to the it was harder to have the same support of my PI, Georg Jander, mentor–student relationship with and ASPB, I was able to have a my PI and other lab members, yet valuable research experience de- I was able to receive the support I experience was very encouraging in the Jander lab, I have become spite these setbacks. needed, even from 6 feet apart. for me as a scientist and helped interested in plant secondary In my SURF project, I inves- Although I’d had about a cement my plan to continue on to metabolism and how it mediates tigated the transport and biosyn- year of lab experience before my graduate school after graduation. interactions with other organ- thesis of cardiac glycosides in SURF fellowship, the summer of In the year before the fellow- isms. I am excited to learn about Erysimum cheiranthoides, a non– 2020 was my first time proposing, ship, I found it difficult to current research in plant natural model plant in the Brassicaceae designing, and performing exper- complete work in the lab along- products at Plant Biology 2021 that synthesizes these compounds iments for my own project. The side my other responsibilities. and to meet PIs to create contacts as an herbivore defense. Just plant I work on is a non–model Summer research allowed me to for graduate school.  before labs shut down on campus, organism, meaning that I had to focus more completely on my I performed a mutagenesis optimize most procedures myself. work, become more acquainted experiment to screen for cardiac This process was time consuming with the literature, and complete glycoside biosynthesis genes, and and challenging, but it ultimately time-intensive experiments that during the months I was kept gave me ownership of my project would be difficult during the from my research, my PI gave me and produced results. My SURF semester. Since I began working

26 ASPB NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2021 network promoting active learning & mentoring

The PALM Network Grant Why limit mentoring to research? PALM supports mentoring in teaching. Develop your abilities to teach lecture courses using active learning by working with an experienced active learning instructor. Receive up to $2000 per Fellow / $500 mentor stipend / $1000 meeting travel each for Fellow and mentor.

“The PALM Network allows faculty with similar “Regular check-ins with an experienced pedagogical goals to connect and strengthen active learning mentor enables better relationships around a shared goal. The selection and efficient implementation integration and assessment of active learning of course-appropriate active learning in the classroom is facilitated by the mentor- strategies.” mentee relationship and the support of the PALM leadership.” —Alonzo Whyte, —Kristen Frenzel, Georgia Institute of Technology Emory University

As a PALM Fellow, you will: • Improve your teaching with feedback and mentorship from experienced active learning instructors • Learn various strategies for teaching lecture courses more effectively using active learning

• Create ready-to-use instructional materials based on research on learning • Discuss key findings from education research that have immediate application in the classroom through online journal clubs and in-person meetings • Become part of a nationwide community of scientists dedicated to effective teaching • Network within and across scientific societies that support scientists in teaching and learning careers

Apply to be a PALM Fellow

Establish Submit Fellow submits Fellow works Fellow records Present to mentor- PALM pre-mentoring with, visits, post-mentoring PALM Network Fellow proposal teaching video observes teaching relationship mentor video

For more information, including eligibility requirements, application details, and to learn about how to be paired with a mentor if you don’t have one in mind, visit palmnetwork.org

2021 Deadlines: Jan. 30, April 30, July 30, and Oct. 30

PALM is funded by NSF Research Coordination Network in Undergraduate Biology Education grant #1624200. vs 10_19_2020 PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ROCKVILLE MD American Society of Plant Biologists AND ADDITIONAL 15501 Monona Drive MAILING OFFICES Rockville, MD 20855-2768 USA

Call for Papers 2022 Focus Issue on Circadian Rhythms Edited by Stacey Harmer, Alex Webb, and Christian Fankhauser

Submission Deadline: November 1, 2021 Publication Date: July/August 2022

For more information, go to http://bit.ly/Circadian-Rhythms

ASPB staff are dedicated to serving our members. We welcome your questions and feedback. For quick response, email us at [email protected].

ASPB News (ISSN 1535-5489; Online ISSN 1544-9149) is published bimonthly by the American Society of Plant Biologists, 15501 Monona Drive, Rockville, MD 20855-2768 USA, telephone 301-251-0560, fax 301-279-2996. Members’ dues include a subscription price of $2 per year to ASPB News. Subscription price for nonmembers is $30 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Rockville, MD, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send address changes to ASPB News, 15501 Monona Drive, Rockville, MD 20855-2768 USA.