SCIENCE BULLETIN FALL 2016 VOLUME 62 NUMBER 3

A PUBLICATION OF THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

PLANTS Grant Recipients and Mentors Gather at 2015! Botany in Action Volunteers ready to go! IN THIS ISSUE...

An interview with the new How BSA Can In uence Sci- First place - Botany in a Box BSA Student Rep, James ence Education Reform...p. 61 Project!...p. 85 McDaniel...... p. 101 From the Editor PLANT SCIENCE BULLETIN Editorial Committee Greetings! Volume 62 Two articles in this issue of Plant Science Bulletin focus on the role and responsibility of the Botanical o inen Society of America in advocating for science educa- () tion. In this issue, BSA President Gordon Uno shares Department of Natural Science Metropolitan State University his essay, “Convergent Evolution of National Sci- St. Paul, MN 55106 ence Education Projects: How BSA Can In uence [email protected] Reform,” the rst in a two-part series based on his address at Botany 2016. Look for the second part of this series to be published in Spring 2017. Also included in this issue is the fourth part in Marshall Sundberg’s series on Botanical Education in the aniel ladis . is installment focuses on the role of () the Botanical Society in the late 20th and early 21st Department of Biology & centuries and showcases the society’s recent eorts e Conservatory Miami University on the educational front. As always, we dedicate the Hamilton, OH 45011 Education News and Notes section to the practical [email protected] eorts of the current BSA membership and sta to promote science education at all levels and to help lead the broader national conversation. at ryn e roy () e discussion regarding the responsibility of indi- Environmental Sciences vidual botanists and the BSA to promote botanical University of Virginia education and engage both students and the general Charlottesville, VA 22904 public in our science has been of particular interest [email protected] for this publication since its inception. I’ve selected two relevant passages “From the Archives” (page ##) that illustrate the ongoing conversation within the society. I encourage you to visit the PSB archives (http://botany.org/PlantScienceBulletin/issues. Melanie in ere php#11) and read both of these excerpted articles in () their entirety. Department of Botany & Plant Pathology I am encouraged by the fact that we, as a society, con- Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331 tinue to grapple with the challenging questions of [email protected] how best to engage others in our science and educate them in the issues that we care deeply about. I am op- timistic that our thriving community of researchers, educators, administrators, and students can continue to eect positive change on the national stage if we are intentional, thoughtful, and vigilant about pursu- annon e l er ing this component of the BSA mission. () Research and Conservation Desert Botanical Garden Phoenix, AZ 85008 [email protected]

Fall 2016 Volume 62 Number 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS SOCIETY NEWS Big Changes Coming to ASPT and BSA Policy Activities ...... 114 BSA Award Winners ...... 118 Grant Continues to Increase the Diversity of Plant Scientists ...... 121 The American Journal of Botany is going online-only in 2017 ...... 124 Convergent Evolution of National Science Education Projects: How BSA Can Influence Reform ...... 125 SPECIAL FEATURE Botanical Education in the United States. Part IV. The Role of the Botanical Society of America (BSA) into the Next Millennium ...... 132 SCIENCE EDUCATION PlantingScience Launches New Website, Needs Volunteer Scientist Mentors! .....155 STUDENT SECTION 10 Years of Student Reps, and 10 Questions Featuring BSA’s New Student Representative to the BSA Board, James McDaniel ...... 159 ANNOUNCEMENTS New Book Announcement from CABI: “Plant Biodiversity: Monitoring, Assessment and Conservation” ...... 163 Bullard Fellowships in Forest Research ...... 163 Hunt Institute Director Robert W. Kiger Retires, T. D. Jacobsen Becomes Director ...... 164 The New York Botanical Garden and the Chrysler Herbarium Provide Resources for Research on Ericaceae ...... 165 In Memoriam Alfred Traverse...... 166 William D. Tidwell...... 170 Sylvia "Tass" Kelso ...... 171 John Melvin Herr, Jr ...... 173 BOOK REVIEWS Ecology ...... 175 Economic Botany...... 178 Physiological...... 181 Systematics ...... 183

113 SOCIETY NEWS

Big Changes Coming to ASPT and BSA Policy Activities A joint report from the ASPT • New ASPT-BSA Policy awards o cer, Environmental and Public Andrew Pais! With new and expanded award opportunities Policy Committee and the for environmental and public policy, one of BSA Public Policy Committee our committee members, Andrew Pais, has As part of a partnership between the ASPT been selected as Awards Ocer. Andrew, a Environmental and Public Policy Commit- Ph.D. Candidate at North Carolina State Uni- tee and the BSA Public Policy Committee, we versity, joined the BSA Public Policy Com- have some big changes in store for opportu- mittee in 2014 aer receiving the annual BSA nities for membership engagement in public Public Policy Award to participate in the 2014 policy issues, including new and upcoming Congressional Visits Day. You can read about web resources as well as some expanded fund- Andrew’s experience in the Fall 2015 issue of ing opportunities. the Plant Science Bulletin. Having bene ted professionally from such an experience, An- As a result of the partnership between ASPT drew is excited to connect others with similar and BSA—the rst ever co-sponsored award opportunities. program between our societies—we have some announcements regarding new or ex- • Botany Advocacy Leadership Grant panded opportunities for dissemination of (BALG) policy news and awards. e BALG is in its second year, with our rst award going to ASPT and BSA member Mike Dunn on behalf of the Southwest chap- ter of the Oklahoma Native Plant Society to fund a lec- ture series. is $1000 grant can fund a variety of projects that help educate the public By Marian Chau (Lyon Arboretum University of Hawai‘i at Mā- on the importance of botany noa) and Morgan Gostel (Smithsonian Institution), Public Policy in environmental and public Committee Co-Chairs, along with Ingrid Jordon-Thaden (Uni- policy issues or for communi- versity of Berkeley), ASPT EPPC Chair ty-driven restoration projects

114 PSB 62 (3) 2016 for botany groups. Applications for ASPT or event in the spring of 2017. More informa- BSA members will be due by March 2017. Full tion can be found at: https://www.aibs.org/ details can be found at: http://cms.botany.org/ public-policy/congressional_visits_day.html home/awards/special-funds-and-awards/bot- any-advocacy-leadership-grant.html. • Botany Policy Network (BPN): • Congressional Visits Day (CVD) Public Policy Award ASPT and BSA are working on developing a web-based Botany Policy Network. is net- is year in Savannah, the ASPT decided work of concerned botanists, botany organi- to join the BSA in oering award funds for zations, and local plant groups will connect ASPT members to attend and participate in the membership from ASPT and BSA with the annual Congressional Visits Day event. people who want to share news, action alerts, ASPT will join BSA in sponsoring a member and interaction to better communicate and to travel to Washington, DC and participate respond to policy issues and events at all lev- in this important opportunity for science pol- els—local, national, and international! We will icy. is American Institute for Biological Sci- send an updated announcement about the ences (AIBS)–sponsored event asks scienti c BPN and how we plan to carry out its creation societies to partially support selected mem- very soon in order to have it ready before next bers to participate in the once-a-year visit to year’s meeting in 2017. Congress in Washington, DC, to learn about governing and funding processes at the feder- e ASPT and BSA policy committees have al level. Additionally, during the visit the AIBS been very busy brainstorming how to best ed- groups scientists together to physically meet ucate both the public and our members in im- with members of Congress to impress upon portant and timely environmental and public them the importance of federal funding for policy issues. We want to thank all of those biological sciences. ASPT has agreed to spon- members who have provided us with ideas, sor one ASPT member with $750, and BSA is and most importantly to the voting members sponsoring two members with all expenses of ASPT and BSA for agreeing to back these paid (travel within USA only), to attend this eorts with funds. We are looking forward to an excellent year!

115 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Botany 2016 was a success! Great Networking, Good Science, Warm Southern Hospitality! Your comments from the post-conference survey....

Very interesting presentations, a good offering of workshops & set in a very beautiful & convenient location. Well done!

Very nice conference, definitely one of the best.

Great meeting! Good scientific sessions, lots of networking opportunities.

Very good meeting for me. Good scientific program, nice opportunity to get together with colleagues, and a location that was fun and different!

116 PSB 62 (3) 2016 This was one of the best Botany conferences I can recall attending, every talk and symposium I went to was excellent.

Overall experience was great for networking and career building.

I enjoyed the exhibits and speaking with exhibitors. It was nice to have the posters surrounding the exhibitors. The quality of posters was super.

Everyone was extremely helpful, great group of organizers and volunteers, great assortment of speakers with a lot of diversity in talks - I appre- ciate the diversity since I teach a wide array of classes in natural resource sciences.

117 PSB 62 (3) 2016 BSA AWARD WINNERS e previous PSB listed the award winners from Botany 2016 that were available at that time. is is the remainder of the award recipients from the conference. Congratulations! Jeanette Siron Pelton Award e Pelton Award is given in recognition of sustained and creative contributions in plant mor- phology. e award de nes morphology broadly to include the subcellular, cellular and or- ganismal levels of complexity, and will recognize experimental, comparative, and evolutionary approaches. Neelima Sinha, University of California, Davis Samuel N. Postlethwait Award is award is given for outstanding service to the BSA Teaching Section. Stokes Baker, University of Detroit Emanual D. Rudolph Award Each year the Historical Section of the BSA oers an award for the best student presentation of a historical nature at the annual meetings. Aniket Sengupta, University of Kansas, for the presentation: “Calcutta Botanical Garden and making of the modern world.” Award is award was established in 1985 with a gi from Dr. Esau and is augmented by ongoing contributions. It is given to the graduate student who presents the outstanding paper in de- velopmental and structural botany at the annual meeting. e Esau award distributes $500 in years in which the award is given. Dustin Ray, University of Connecticut, for the paper “Conduit packing and allometric scaling of tissues in petioles.” Co-author: Cynthia Jones. Developmental & Structural Section Best Student Presentation Award Jingjing Tong, University of Washington, for the poster “Duplication and expression pattern of CYCLOIDEA-like genes in Campanulaceae.” Co-author: Dianella Howarth Tropical Biology Student Presentation Samantha Worthy, Columbus State University, for the paper “Phylogenetic analysis of Andean tree communities along an elevational gradient in Ecuador.” Co-authors: Rosa Jiménez, Renato Valencia, Katya Romoleroux, Jennifer M. Cruse-Sanders, Alex Reynolds, John Barone, Alvaro Perez, and Kevin Burgess

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Ecology Section Student Presentation Awards Ian Matthew Jones (Graduate Student), Florida International University, for the paper “Chang- ing Light Conditions in Pine Rockland Habitats A ect the Outcome of Ant-Plant Interactions.” Co-authors: Suzanne Koptur, Hilma R. Gallegos, Joseph P. Tardanico, and Patricia A. Trainer Meghan Garanich (Graduate Student), Bucknell University, for the paper “Identication of re tolerance thresholds in seeds of the Western Australian endemic bush tomato, beaugle- holei ()” Co-authors: Jason Cantley, Lacey Gavala, Ingrid Jordon-aden, and Chris Martine Scott Eckert, e College of New Jersey, for the best Graduate Student poster “Juvenile trees in suburban forests: insights from structural equation modeling.” Co-author: Janet Morrison Genetics Section Poster Award e Genetics Section Graduate Student Research Award provides $500 for research funds and an additional $500 for attendance at a future BSA meeting. Michelle Gaynor, University of Central Florida, for the poster “Identifying the Factors Inuenc- ing Plant Communities Across the United States Using A Phylogenetic Framework.” Co-authors: Robert Laport and Julienne Ng Margaret Menzel Award is award is presented by the Genetics Section for the outstanding paper presented in the con- tributed papers sessions of the annual meetings. Jason Cantley, Bucknell University, for the paper “Monolithic sandstone continental islands of northern unlock secrets of breeding system evolution in ve sympatrically occurring spe- cies of the Australian spiny Solanum (Solanaceae) lineage.” Co-authors: Ingrid Jordon-aden, Morgan Roche, Daniel Hayes, and Chris Martine. Maynard F. Moseley Award e Maynard F. Moseley Award was established in 1995 to honor a career of dedicated teach- ing, scholarship, and service to the furtherance of the botanical sciences. e award is given to the best student paper, presented in either the Paleobotanical or Developmental and Structural sessions, that advances our understanding of plant structure in an evolutionary context. Alex Bippus, Humboldt State University, for the paper “Tiny ecosystems: bryophytes and other biotic interactions around an osmundaceous from the Eocene of Patagonia.” Co-authors: Ignacio H Escapa and Alexandru Tomescu Physiological Section Student Presentation Awards Katherine Cary, University of California, Santa Cruz (Advisor, Jarmila Pittermann), for the paper “ and xylem function under extreme nutrient deciency: an example from the pygmy forest.” Co-authors: Jarmila Pittermann

119 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Danielle Bucior, Ithaca College (Advisor, Dr. Brian Maricle), for the poster “Comparison of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Terrestrial and Aquatic Plants from Vieques, Puerto Rico.”

Physiological Section Li-Cor Prize Christina Hilt, Fort Hays State University (Advisor, Dr. Brian Maricle), for the poster “Does environment or genetics inuence leaf level physiology? Measuring photosynthetic rates of native big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grown in common gardens across a precipitation gradient.” Co-authors: Christina Hilt, Cera Smart, Adam Urban, Diedre Kramer, Nicole Martin, Sara Baer, Loretta Johnson, and Brian Maricle Isabel Cookson Award Established in 1976, this award recognizes the best student paper presented in the Paleobotan- ical Section. Brian Atkinson, Oregon State University, for the paper “Initial radiation of : earliest cornalean fossils.” Co-authors: Ruth A. Stockey and Gar W. Rothwell

120 PSB 62 (3) 2016 e program brings between 10 and 14 stu- dents each year to the annual Botany con- PLANTS Grant Continues ference. PLANTS students attend scienti c to Increase the Diversity of talks with mentors, a workshop on applying to graduate school, the Human Diversity Lun- Plant Scientists cheon, and numerous social and networking events. With the assistance from Dr. Sakai e PLANTS program (Preparing Leaders and Dr. Ann Hirsch (UCLA) as well as all and Nurturing Tomorrow’s Scientists) is those who served on the PLANTS grant selec- now in its sixth year. e program is funded tion committee, 61 students have been funded by the National Science Foundation with sup- over the rst ve years of the PLANTS grant port from the BSA. (2011-2015). In 2016, 11 students were select- ed to attend the Botany 2016 Conference in Currently managed by Co-PIs Ann Sakai Savannah, Georgia. (UC-Irvine), Anna Mon ls (Central Michi- gan U), and Heather Cacanindin (BSA Mem- At the core of the program are the mentors bership and Subscriptions Director), the goal who serve to guide the students through what of the PLANTS program is to encourage stu- to expect at a scienti c conference of this mag- dents from under-represented populations to nitude. Each student is assigned a peer and a become part of the scienti c botanical com- senior mentor. Mentors contact students be- munity—and in particular, to help them un- fore the meeting, attend social activities and derstand the opportunities possible with an scienti c talks with the students, help the stu- advanced degree and to learn about careers in dents network with other students and faculty the plant sciences. at the meeting, and in general, introduce stu-

From le to right: Peer mentor James McDaniel (University of Wisconsin), peer mentor Jon Giddens (University of Oklahoma), peer mentor Chelsea Pretz (University of Colorado Boul- der), David omas (University of Oklahoma), and former PLANTS Grant recipient Maryam Sedaghatpour (George Mason University). 121 PSB 62 (3) 2016 dents to the broader relevance and application just graduated within the last four months, for of the discipline. Mentors pass on to the stu- the remaining four cohorts (N = 48), a total dents the genuine intellectual excitement and of 71% (N = 34) began graduate school in ar- involvement of the conference participants. eas related to the PLANTS program: N = 30 In fact, many mentors maintain contact with (62.5%) began doctoral programs, and N = 4 their mentees aer the conference is over, pro- (8.3%) began masters programs. viding insight and guidance on their career path and assisting them with graduate school Although most of these students had a and grant applications. non-traditional pro le for graduate school based on grade point average, income, and Our mentors are committed to helping young socioeconomic status, a very high proportion scientists and increasing the diversity of plant of the 48 students earned prestigious fellow- scientists. Mentors hail from government po- ships (N = 19, 40%), through NSF Graduate sitions, small colleges, large research institu- Research Fellowships (N = 15, 31.3%), a Ford tions, and nonpro t organizations. ey rep- Foundation Fellowship (N= 1, 2%), or institu- resent the variety of job opportunities in the tional 3- to 4-year-long institutional research botanical sciences. A total of 81 dierent men- fellowships (N = 3, 6%). Two students from tors participated in the program over the rst the 2011 cohort also recently earned NSF ve-year grant period (42 senior mentors, 39 Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants. peer mentors, including 10 PLANTS alumni who returned to participate as peer mentors). e success, enthusiasm, and contributions ey enthusiastically share their personal ex- of the PLANTS participants have helped to periences and expertise in the sciences and make our botanical community more aware serve without compensation or reimburse- and proactive about encouraging the diversity ment. e mentors are truly the backbone of of plant scientists within the Society and the the PLANTS program and provide impactful plant sciences as a whole. Moreover, a trans- experiences for the PLANTS students. formation of the membership of the Botanical Society has begun to occur as documented One 2016 PLANTS recipient recently stated, “I by the increase in the diversity of our overall learned so much at the talks and much, much membership. From 2011 to 2016, represen- more interacting with my two mentors and tation of BSA members who were American others in the eld. I lacked direction before Indian/Alaska natives, Paci c Islanders, and I attended and now feel much more certain of African American/Black together rose from my next several steps. I entered the conference <1% to 2.3%, and members who were Hispan- dissuaded against attending graduate school, ic or Latino/a rose from 2.3% to 3.8% of the but with the guidance of [my mentors], I see U.S. membership, for a total of 6.1% of U.S. that’s where I will be next in order to reach my members. professional goals.” Science will not thrive unless it is equally ac- e PLANTS grant recipients have kept in cessible to students from all backgrounds, in- touch with the program for several years aer cluding those from groups that are currently their participation, and this contact has been under-represented. Access involves knowl- critical to documenting the success of the stu- edge about the discipline, understanding the dents and the program. Excluding the last co- culture of science, feeling welcome as a partic- hort in 2015 because most of those students ipant in scienti c endeavors and as a member 122 PSB 62 (3) 2016

PLANTS Grant recipient Viviana Sanchez (le) from Mount St. Mary’s University is joined by peer mentor Kelly Matsunga (University of Michigan) and senior mentor Suzanne Koptur (Flori- da International University) at Botany 2016. of the scienti c community, and understanding job opportunities in the area. e PLANTS program continues to be successful in encouraging students from underrepresented back- grounds to become part of our scienti c community. e PLANTS program is just one part of an overall growing eort by the Society to provide a range of professional development oppor- tunities to our student members. Some of these eorts include hosting non-academic career panels, workshops and symposia about science communication and dissemination, broader impacts issues, and career speed dating. When the call for applications comes out in February for the PLANTS Award, please carefully consider those who you might encourage to apply for this opportunity. In May, we will again be seeking peer and senior mentors for the 2017 cohort of PLANTS grant recipients. If you are planning to attend Botany 2017 in Fort Worth, this could be a fantastic way for you to make new connections and positively impact the life of an aspiring plant scientist. If you have any questions about the program, please feel free to contact the BSA oce at bsa-manager@botany. org.

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The American Journal of Botany is going online-only Your Society in 2017 publications want you! e BSA encourages you to send your e BSA is pleased to join with other scien- strongest work to your Society publica- ti c societies in our community by reducing tions: our joint global carbon footprint. In 2017, the American Journal of Botany will move to on- • American Journal of Botany publishes line-only publication. As part of online-only peer-reviewed, innovative, signi cant re- publishing, we will continue to support botan- search of interest to a wide audience of ical research by introducing new features and plant scientists in all areas of plant biolo- improved functionality for both readers and gy, all levels of organization, and all plant authors. In addition to being a greener pub- groups and allied organisms. To submit a paper, go to http://ajb.edmgr.com/. lishing option, this move will allow the Soci- ety to direct a portion of print costs to invest • Applications in Plant Sciences is a monthly in new opportunities to support our members open access, peer-reviewed journal pro- and the botanical sciences. moting the rapid dissemination of newly developed, innovative tools and protocols in all areas of the plant sciences, including genetics, structure, function, development, evolution, systematics, and ecology. To sub- mit a paper, go to http://apps.edmgr.com.

• Plant Science Bulletin is an informal com- munication for Society members pub- lished three times a year, with information on upcoming meetings, courses, eld trips, news of colleagues, new books, and pro- fessional opportunities. It also serves as a forum for circulating BSA committee re- ports and discussing issues of concern to Highlights from 2016 include important and Society members such as environmental timely articles on plant phylogeny, develop- policy and educational funding. Research ment, and evolution, as well as three special articles may be submitted to http://psb.ed- issues focused on insights from studies of mgr.com/. geographic variation, pollen performance, and polyploidy, and a special section on the Your Society publications can only suc- interactions between plants and their mutu- ceed with your help. If you have queries alist partners. e essay series “On the Nature or ideas for essay, research article, or spe- of ings” (“OTNOTs” for short) continues to cial issue contributions, please contact spark insights on a broad range of topics and the editorial oces at [email protected]; is being read and discussed by people around [email protected]; or [email protected]. the world. We look forward to serving our au- thors, the botanical community, and broader readership in 2017. 124 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Society News Convergent Evolution of National Science Education Projects: How BSA Can Influence Reform

Remarks from Botany 2016 by President-Elect Gordon E. Uno I have been interested and engaged in science years; and (2) I have been able to combine my education since my undergraduate studies at interests in science and science education into the University of Colorado, when I worked a career, and this pathway is now being fol- with the BSCS (Biological Sciences Curricu- lowed by many others at institutions around lum Study), then located near Boulder, while the country. working on my undergraduate degree in Biol- ogy. During my graduate program at the Uni- versity of California, Berkeley, my research The Centrality of Education was on the reproductive biology and polli- nation ecology of Iris douglasiana, a coastal in the Mission of the Iris species, but my nancial support came as Botanical Society of America a teaching assistant and then lead TA for the In 2012, the American Institute of Biological Introductory Biology program at UCB (with Sciences (AIBS) released the results of a sur- 24 laboratory sections). So, while I was con- vey of nearly 100 leaders of scienti c societ- ducting botanical research, I was still engaged ies on their perceived role of these societies in science education activities. I carried my today (Box 1) (Musante and Potter, 2012). I interests with me to the University of Oklaho- would argue that every single role identi ed ma, where I have taught over 10,000 students on the list generated by these scientists has a in Introductory Botany. ere are two points major educational component or focus. For to this introduction: (1) I have been involved example, the rst identi ed role for a scien- in science education for a very long time, and ti c society is “Advancing Research,” which I have seen it change dramatically over the conferences, such as our annual BSA meeting, obviously help to do. However, the knowl- edge transfer that occurs at our annual con- ference is also an educational activity—we are teaching each other about the latest ndings in multiple areas of research, as well as new By Gordon E. Uno, techniques and methods of investigation. In BSA President-Elect addition, we have those with knowledge in- University of Oklahoma forming those who seek knowledge, which is one component of education. In terms of 125 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Society News

Box 1. Seven of the Primary Roles of Scientic Societies Today. Results from the AIBS Survey of Science Society Leaders. (Musante and Potter, 2012) 1. Advance research or knowledge transfer 2. Promote or facilitate collaboration or networking 3. Advance education 4. Build public understanding and informal education opportunities 5. Promote informed policy or advocacy 6. Empower student success for a future in the eld—diversity and careers 7. Promote conservation or wise use of resources the second identi ed role, “Promoting Col- competitiveness in a scienti c and technolog- laboration and Networking,” as we begin to ical world (Clough, 2011). us, as a scienti c form these interactive eorts, we have to in- society, BSA is faced with the same challeng- form each other of what we know and what es as identi ed in the BioScience survey, and we want to understand; we must educate each therefore we must ensure we emphasize and other about our strengths and questions we improve the educational aspects of all the have and how we can contribute to the col- roles we play as a society. We also need to un- laboration or network. “Building Public derstand the educational responsibilities we Understanding of Science” and “Promoting have as we address the grand challenges facing Informed Policy” are also educational activi- contemporary Biology and Botany. ties—albeit with dierent audiences than that found in a typical classroom, and which are activities that scientists are oen woefully Our Educational Roles as underprepared for or unwilling to engage in. us, I strongly believe that education is and Scientists and Botanists should be a primary focus of any scienti c so- As seen above, our educational activities and ciety, including BSA, in all of the activities in inuences extend well beyond our classrooms. which its members are engaged. We have a major responsibility to educate the general public about plants and science. is An educational focus is also found embedded was the theme of one symposium at this year’s in all of the Challenges to Biology as a dis- BSA conference, “e Importance of Com- cipline (Box 2), as identi ed from the same municating Science.” e overall sentiment AIBS survey. e lack of appropriate educa- expressed by all speakers in this symposium tion plays a major role in the alarming level of was that scientists are oen not very good scienti c illiteracy illustrated by segments of about communicating their science to the the general public, and some politicians, and public, and that we all need to do a better job is troublesome to all scienti c endeavors, fu- in this important activity. ture funding of science, as well as our national

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Box 2. Ten of the Greatest Challenges to Biology as Identied by Scientic Society Leaders. (Musante and Potter, 2012) 1. Decision-makers not informed about biological research or issues 2. Lack of funding for research 3. Public’s lack of appreciation for biology 4. Rejection of evolution as the central tenet of biology 5. Quantity and quality of jobs for trained biologists 6. Lack of advocacy for science funding 7. Failure to educate non-majors to engage in lifelong appreciation of biology 8. Lack of support for biologists to teach or participate in community out- reach activities 9. Fragmentation of biological disciplines 10. Decreasing science coverage in popular media

Educating our colleagues and administrators plant research. One of the documents I used is also a critical activity for all plant biologists. in the defense of botany was the NRC’s 2009 Not understanding the importance of our re- document, “A New Biology for the 21st Centu- search can lead to decisions at funding agen- ry,” in which you will nd the four grand re- cies that jeopardize future support. I point to search challenges in Biology for the 21st Cen- the hiatus in the NSF program, Funding for tury identi ed by an expert panel of scientists. Collections in Support of Biological Research, ose grand challenges in biology include: as an example of the lack of informed commu- (1) generate food plants to adapt and grow nication between the administrators in charge sustainably in changing environments; (2) un- of funding decisions and the community that derstand and sustain ecosystem function and is aected by these decisions—issues directly biodiversity in the face of rapid change; (3) related to two of the Greatest Challenges to expand sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels; Biology (see Box 2). Another example of the and (4) understand individual health. When importance of continuous informal education one considers nutrition and medicinal plants of our colleagues comes from the time when as part of understanding individual health, an I was Chair of the Department of Microbi- argument can easily be made that plant re- ology and Plant Biology at the University of search will play a large role in solving all the Oklahoma. I feel it was critical to the hiring of challenges that have been identi ed for our additional botanists to constantly remind my nation’s near and distant future. I think my microbiological colleagues and our Universi- strategy was fairly successful: during my 15 ty’s administration about the importance of years as Chair of the Department, we hired 19

127 PSB 62 (3) 2016 faculty, and by the end of my tenure as Chair, gram with little ability in critical thinking, we had the greatest number of botanists in the complex reasoning, and writing skills (Arum history of the unit. (In addition, we had the and Roksa, 2011). ese problems in the greatest percentage of women of any science classroom contribute to the scienti c illiteracy or engineering department, and out of all 76 of the general public, issues related to nding academic units on campus, we had the highest enough quali ed graduate students, funding amount of external funding—for several years issues for science research, poor training of in a row.) e point here is that we should not future science teachers, faculty frustration in automatically assume that our colleagues, and teaching, and students leaving biology and certainly our administrators, have a working botany programs for other careers. Several knowledge and positive attitude about the bo- national science education reform projects tanical research we do and why it is import- have emerged over the years, each working ant. us, we must constantly educate them independently to solve the issues of science about our botanical activities. education in dierent arenas. is is part of the good news in terms of science education, e third important educational role that and I will address what these projects have in plant biologists play is directly related to our common. But rst, I would like to discuss how instructional role, helping students learn we got to this point. e myriad problems in about plants, biology, and science. I think teaching and learning science were the impe- that botanists have a good understanding of tus for people to initiate large-scale, national the problems we all face in the classroom— science education reform projects. But there undergraduate students don’t have a huge in- has also been a slowly building revolution in terest in majoring in botany when they come terms of the concern about and participation to college, even if they want to major in some in science education reform by faculty not ini- area of biology (Marbach-Ad, 2004). In addi- tially trained, but still interested, in education. tion, people in general have “plant blindness,” I think we have reached the tipping point in which is the inability to see or notice plants terms of interest, action, and acceptance of in one’s own environment, leading to a lack of science education in scienti c academic circles understanding of the importance of plants in the biosphere and in the life of humans (Wan- dersee and Schussler, 1999). So we botanists Reaching the Tipping Point start with a disadvantage as we try to entice for Science Education students to major in plant biology or to take one of our courses. e tipping point, according to Malcolm Gladwell (2000), is the critical point in a situ- We are also aware of many identi ed issues ation, process, or system beyond which a sig- with science courses and with incoming stu- ni cant and oen unstoppable change takes dents and the way they are taught, such as place. I think we have reached this change the absence of critical thinking or inquiry in due to a number of factors. I will now detail courses and the few opportunities for stu- eight pieces of evidence that we have reached dents to engage in independent research, dis- the tipping point in terms of support for and cuss complex topics, or experience science as involvement in science education research a process in class. Aer taking our courses, and activities. students oen leave their undergraduate pro-

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First, there are more “pure” scientists (those (SFES) faculty found embedded in biology who have no formal training in science edu- departments around the country. In 2013, cation research) who have become concerned there were 841 Biology SFES at PhD-granting about problems in science education and who institutions of higher education (Bush et al., have contributed to science education reform. 2013), many in tenure-track positions. Some For instance, as President of the National of these faculty were trained as science educa- Academy of Science, was deep- tion researchers, some as biologists who be- ly engaged in science education reform issues, came interested in science education, but they including championing the new Next Gener- all contribute to the science education litera- ation of Science Standards from the NRC and ture and/or help colleagues to improve their the redesign of the College Board’s Advanced teaching. is means that members of science Placement science courses. Two of the last ed- departments frequently have colleagues with itors for Science, Alberts and Marcia McNutt, education expertise down the hall from them, have frequently written editorials about sci- which facilitates communication and interac- ence education (e.g., Alberts and McNutt, tions. 2013). Carl Weiman, 2001 Nobel Prize win- ner in Physics, has written about the appli- While we know, to some cation of new research to improve science education (2012). Jo Handelsman, currently degree, what works in Associate Director for Science in the White a science classroom to House Oce of Science and Technology Pol- help students learn and icy (OSTP), has promoted “scienti c teach- ing” (Handelsman, Miller, and Pfund, 2007), understand biology, we which is instruction that mirrors science at its know less about how best; that is, teaching that is experimental, rig- to help more faculty orous, and based on evidence. is method requires all instructors to reect on our own effectively implement teaching methods in order to determine “how these methods in their do we know that what we are doing is helping courses. our students learn?” A second piece of evidence in regard to reach- Fourth, teaching and learning centers have ing the tipping point is the growing body of developed at most colleges and universities, high-quality, rigorous, peer-reviewed science and they have emerged as places where fac- education literature found in an increasing ulty professional development takes place— number of quality science education journals, and more faculty are seeking the services of such as CBE-Life Sciences Education, a journal these centers to help them improve their in- published by the American Society for Cell Bi- structional practices. Fih, we have a much ology. ese journals and articles are reveal- better understanding of how people learn ing what is called “evidence-based teaching,” (from the perspective of cognitive sciences) which Handelsman and others have empha- and about the biology of learning (from the sized as the way to engage students in science. perspective of the neurosciences). Examples ird, there is an increasingly large number of books that illustrate this better understand- of science faculty with education specialties

129 PSB 62 (3) 2016 ing include two from the National Research standards of a particular aspect of science ed- Council, “How Students Learn: Brain, Mind, ucation, such as how to incorporate the use of Experience, and School” (Bransford, Brown, bioinformatics into an undergraduate degree and Cocking, 2000) and “How Students program (Eaton et al., 2016). A new research Learn: Science in the Classroom” (Dono- society, the Society for the Advancement of van and Bransford, 2005). Sixth, universities Biology Education Research (SABER), has across the country are experimenting with developed from an RCN-UBE award and now dierent, and better, ways of preparing the fu- holds annual conferences with 500 conferees. ture professoriate by educating graduate stu- All of the larger scienti c societies, such as dents more broadly. at is, faculty mentors BSA, the Ecological Society of America, and are working with these doctoral candidates the American Society for Microbiology, have to develop their teaching philosophy and to active education departments that engage in a cultivate their instructional talents. From the wide variety of outreach activities and support years 1999-2011, the NSF GK-12 program for their members regarding teaching and sci- launched the careers of thousands of graduate ence education. students by supporting their collaborations with K-12 teachers and students during their One of my three RCN-UBE awards, the Intro- science graduate degree program. Emerging ductory Biology Project (IBP), was a 5-year from this and other eorts are new models of networking project that engaged several hun- graduate education that integrate teaching/ dred faculty around the country to discuss the learning with science research and oen en- myriad problems associated with the rst, and gage graduate students in the scholarship of oen only, biology course college students teaching, which many students continue into take (Eaton et al., 2016). e project result- their rst professional positions (Trautman ed in publications, new collaborations among and Krasny, 2006). the participants, new projects emerging from interactions of faculty who attended the IBP e seventh sign that we have reached the meetings, as well as a summit attended by tipping point also has to do with funding representatives of all the RCN-UBE awards agencies, such as NSF, and scienti c societies to date (NSF RCN-UBE award to Uno, PI, that are developing and supporting science 2015). From the IBP we have learned what education activities and programs. In addi- makes networks and collaborative eorts tion, and as you might expect, there are sev- work, which should inform any society as it eral major science education organizations attempts to develop interactive groups of sci- such as the National Association of Biology entists (Eaton et al., 2016). Another meeting Teachers (NABT) that are working on large- that emerged from my IBP was a Gordon Re- scale projects to support improved instruc- search Conference on Undergraduate Biology tion at the undergraduate level. In terms of Education Research (UBER). is is current- funding agencies, I have already mentioned ly the only GRC dealing with biology educa- GK-12; however, the NSF has also initiated tion in the GRC portfolio (see the GRC web- the Research Coordination Networks in Un- site at www.grc.org). Susan Elrod (Provost at dergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE) University of Wisconsin-Whitewater) and I program. RCN-UBE projects support the (co-Chair and Chair, respectively) chose the development of groups of individuals who theme of “translational research” for the rst are working to solve problems and agree on GRC UBER—that is, while we know, to some

130 PSB 62 (3) 2016 degree, what works in a science classroom to Widespread distribution and unexpected variation help students learn and understand biology, among science faculty with education specialties we know less about how to help more faculty (SFES) across the United States. Proceedings of eectively implement these methods in their the National Academy of Sciences 110 (18): 7170- 7175. courses. We wrote the successful proposal to the GRC, and we were also successful in ob- Clough, G. W. 2011. Increasing Scientific Liter- taining supporting funds from the NSF, NIH, acy: A Shared Responsibility. Smithsonian Insti- the HHMI, as well as the GRC to support the tution. 68 pp. conference. All of these results are indicators of the continued support shown by science or- Donovan, M. S. and J. D. Bransford (eds). 2005. How Students Learn: Science in the Classroom. ganizations and funding agencies for science/ The National Academies Press. 264 pp. biology education. e next GRC UBER will be held at Stonehill College, MA, in the sum- Eaton, C., D. Allen, L. Anderson, G. Bowser, M. mer of 2017 and has a theme of “Improving Pauley, K. Williams, and G. Uno. 2016. Summit Diversity, Equity, and Learning.” For those of the Research Coordination Networks for Un- interested in attending, please visit the GRC dergraduate Biology Education. CBE—Life Sci- website. ences Education (accepted for publication). e nal piece of evidence regarding the tip- Gladwell, M. 2000. The Tipping Point: How ping point is related to the title of this talk— Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Little, Brown and Company. 304 pp. the convergent evolution of several major national science education reform eorts. I Handelsman, J., S. Miller, and C. Pfund. 2007. will deal with this convergence in Part 2 of Scientific Teaching. Macmillan. 184 pp. this article, discussing what these large-scale projects have in common. In addition, I will Marbach-Ad, G. 2004. Expectations and diffi- make a few recommendations about how the culties of first-year college students in biology. Journal of College Science Teaching 33: 18-23. BSA can promote educational reform within the society and for our members. Musante, S. and S. Potter. 2012. What is import- ant to biological societies at the start of the Twen- ty-first Century? BioScience 62(4): 329-335.

Literature Cited Trautman, N. M. and M. E. Krasny. 2006. Inte- Alberts, B. and M. McNutt. 2013. Science demy- grating teaching and research: a new model for stified. Science 342: 289. graduate education? BioScience 56: 159–165.

Arum, R. and J. Roksa. 2011. Academically Wandersee, J. H. and E.E. Schussler. 1999. Pre- Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses. venting plant blindness. American Biology Teacher The University of Chicago Press. 272 pp. 61: 82-86.

Bransford, J. D., A. L. Brown, and R. R. Cocking Weiman, C. 2012. Applying new research to im- (eds). 2000. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, prove science education. Issues in Science and Experience, and School. The National Academies Technology 29 (1). Fall Issue. Press. 384 pp.

Bush, S. D., N. J. Pelaez, J. A. Rudd, M.T. Ste- vens, K.D. Tanner, and K.S. Williams. 2013.

131 SPECIAL FEATURE

Botanical Education in the United States. Part IV. The Role of the Botanical Society of America (BSA) into the Next Millennium1 Abstract of botanical educators began to work through AIBS to promote BSA’s educational agenda. During its second half-century, the educa- ird, in the mid-1990s, as BSA moved to- tional activities of the Botanical Society of ward an independent and more professional America (BSA) can be divided into three business and meeting model, it also focused main periods. e rst, associated with the on strengthening botany as a discipline as the founding of the American Institute of Bio- Society moved into the next millennium and logical Sciences (AIBS), and especially the into its next century. e resulting Botany for Commission for Undergraduate Education in the Next Millennium provided the framework Biological Sciences (CUEBS), rekindled the for BSA educational activities up to the pres- interest and participation of some of BSA’s ent day most notable members in improving botani- cal education. Several of their ideas ultimately Key Words: came to fruition at the end of the century. Sec- botanical education; CUEBS; educational forum; ond, with the demise of CUEBS, a new group inquiry-based learning; PlantingScience

Footnotes By Marshall D. Sundberg2 1 Received for publication 22 June 2016; revision ac- cepted 18 August 2016.

Department of Biology, 2 Corresponding author email: [email protected] Emporia State University, doi: 10.3732/psb.1600003 Emporia, KS

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s noted in the previous part of this series, charter member of AIBS, and BSA Past Presi- Aa striking characteristic of botanical ed- dent, Ralph Cleland, was its rst Board Chair- ucation in the Society during its rst 50 years man (AIBS, 1972; DiSilvestro, 1997). was alternating periods of waxing and waning interest (Sundberg, 2014). is general pattern Many AIBS programs, including in educa- of waxing and waning has not changed during tion, were closely tied to developments in the the Society’s second half-century, but the BSA, and the peaks of educational activity drivers have (Fig. 1). Particularly noteworthy in the late 1960s and mid-1990s reect this during the rst half-century of the Society was close connection with BSA members driving the major role played by leading botanists, in- programs both in AIBS and BSA (see Fig. 1). cluding several Presidents of the Society, who e BSA Education Committee was estab- drove a botanical education agenda (the nota- lished in 1951, and from its inaugural issue ble outliers since 1956 are former Presidents in 1955, Plant Science Bulletin provided a fo- Harriett Creighton, who was active during the cus on botanical education issues (Sundberg, transition region, and William Jensen, as well 2014). AIBS followed suit by establishing its as current President, Gordon Uno) (Table 1). Committee on Education and Profession- As noted previously, this had already begun to al Recruitment in 1956 with BSA immedi- change by the 50th anniversary of the Society, ate Past-President as its chair and it was in large part linked to the evolu- and BSA President Harriett Creighton and tion of the American Institute for Biological BSA member Ronald Bamford as committee Sciences (AIBS) (Sundberg, 2014). e Teach- members (Cox, 1956). Close program links ing Section was established in 1947, the year between AIBS and BSA were facilitated by the before the founding of AIBS. e BSA was a fact that BSA met as an aliate society during

Figure 1. Educational Activities of BSA through its second half-century.

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Year Teaching Section Education Committee Director-at-Large Education Staff Person 1960 Harriette V. Bartoo Victor Greulach /John Torrey? 1961 William B. Drew Harriett B. Creighton 1962 Samuel N. Postlethwait Harriett B. Creighton 1963 Robert W. Hoshaw Adolph Hecht 1964 Robert W. Hoshaw Adolph Hecht 1965 Robert C. Lommasson Adolph Hecht 1966 Paul A. Vestal Samuel N. Postlethwait 1967 Helena A. Miller Samuel N. Postlethwait 1968 J. Louis Martens Samuel N. Postlethwait 1969 Irving W. Knoblock Richard M. Klein 1970 Irving W. Knoblock Richard M. Klein 1971 J. Louis Martens Richard M. Klein 1972 Orie J. Eigsti Peter B. Kaufman 1973 Sanford S. Tepper Peter B. Kaufman 1974 Donald S. Dean J. Donald La Croix 1975 Willis H. Hertig Willard W. Payne 1976 William A. Jensen Sanford S. Tepper 1977 Franklin F. Flint Janice C. Coffey 1978 Donald M. Huffman Charles R. Curtis 1979 Charles R. Curtis Shirley A. Graham 1980 Barnett N. Rock Richard A. White 1981 W. Moser Hess Franklin F. Flint 1982 Roy H. Saigo Samuel N. Postlethwait 1983 Louis H. Tiffany Samuel N. Postlethwait 1984 Alan R. Orr Barbara W. Saigo 1985 David T. Webb Roy H. Saigo 1986 Marshall D. Sundberg Roy H. Saigo 1987 Gordon E. Uno John A. Novak 1988 John A. Novak Edith S. Taylor 1989 Steven G. Saupe Jeanette S. Mullins 1990 Jan Balling Thomas L. Rost 1991 Jeanette S. Mullins Thomas L. Rost 1992 Donald S. Galitz Marshall D. Sundberg 1993 Kenneth J. Curry Marshall D. Sundberg 1994 David W. Kramer Bruce K. Kirchoff 1995 Stanley A. Rice Steven G. Saupe 1996 Eileen D. Bunderson David W. Kramer 1997 Robert J. (Rob) Reinsvold David W. Kramer 1998 Robert J. (Rob) Reinsvold David W. Kramer 1999 Robert J. (Rob) Reinsvold David W. Kramer 2000 Robert J. (Rob) Reinsvold David W. Kramer 2001 Henri Maurice David W. Kramer 2002 Henri Maurice Robert J. (Rob) Reinsvold 2003 Daniel T. (Tim) Gerber Robert J. (Rob) Reinsvold 2004 James E. Mickel Gordon E. Uno 2005 Beverly J. Brown Gordon E. Uno 2006 Beverly J. Brown Gordon E. Uno Claire A. Hemingway 2007 James H. Wandersee Gordon E. Uno Claire A. Hemingway 2008 James H. Wandersee Gordon E. Uno Claire A. Hemingway 2009 James H. Wandersee Beverly J. Brown Christopher H. Haufler Claire A Hemingway 2010 Stokes S. Baker Beverly J. Brown Christopher H. Haufler Claire A. Hemingway 2011 Stokes S. Baker Beverly J. Brown Christopher H. Haufler Claire A. Hemingway 2012 Stokes S. Baker Beverly J. Brown Susan R. Singer Claire A. Hemingway 2013 Carina Anttila-Suare J.P. (Phil) Gibson Marshall D. Sundberg Catrina T. Adams 2014 Carina Anttila-Suare J.P. (Phil) Gibson Marshall D. Sundberg Catrina T. Adams 2015 Carina Anttila-Suare J.P. (Phil) Gibson Allison J. Miller Catrina T. Adams

Table 1 Chairpersons of BSA Teaching Section and Education Committee* *Continued from Table 6 in Sundberg, 2014 (p. 46).

134 PSB 62 (3) 2016 the annual AIBS meetings from the 1950s the BSA, members of the Education Commit- through 1999, the last big AIBS-coordinated tee actively represented the Society in broader societies meeting. In 2000, BSA was the last activities, particularly with AIBS. of the charter societies to separate its annual meeting from AIBS and set o on its own. In 1960, the National Association of Biolo- gy teachers proposed that the BSA formally Increased activity during the past two de- take over one issue of e American Biology cades reects an emphasis on implementing Teacher (ABT) per year for botanical articles. the goals and actions enumerated in Botany Victor Greulach (Fig. 2), then in his h and for the Next Millennium (Botanical Society of nal year as Education Committee Chair, re- America, 1995). Notably, these included im- ported that the Committee recommended the plementation of an Education Forum preced- Society simply encourage members to submit ing the annual meeting and implementation articles to ABT rather than sponsor a full is- of the PlantingScience program. e follow- sue. e Committee also recommended that ing account is organized around the three pe- the Society not produce and distribute leaets riods of educational activities outlined above: to schools, but instead contribute to Turtox two periods of interaction between AIBS and News, an ongoing commercial publication. It BSA, rst through the Commission on Un- also recommended that BSA participate in an dergraduate Education in the Biological Sci- AIBS conference for biologists and journalists ences (CUEBS) and later through the AIBS to promote better dissemination of botanical Education Committee, and recently through information to the general public. is was implementation of the recommendations of seen as particularly important because the ed- Botany for the Next Millennium. ucational materials so far produced by AIBS (a lm series distributed by McGraw-Hill) were “de cient in botanical quantity, quality, and AIBS: The CUEBS Years accuracy” (Council Minutes, 1960; AIBS, 1972). Both AIBS and BSA bene tted from early NSF funding of educational activities. Notable for BSA were the Summer Science Institutes (Sundberg, 2014). ese programs continued into the 1960s with institutes at the Univer- sity of North Carolina (UNC; 1960, 1962, 1963, and 1969), Washington State Universi- ty (1961), Michigan State University (1965), University of (1966), and Uni- versity of Vermont (1968). Because of the In- ternational Botanical Congress in 1964, held in Edinburgh, there was no institute planned for that year, but instead, UNC hosted a spe- cial smaller education conference. ere is no record of a 1967 Institute (Council Minutes, Figure 2. Victor Greulach, rst Executive Di- 1960-1989). Although the institutes were the rector of CUEBS and former BSA Education only NSF-supported activities sponsored by Committee Chairman. (CUEBS photo)

135 PSB 62 (3) 2016

Institutes, to plan and arrange for pre-meeting educational conferences and to continue the Summer Institutes. A nal motion, passed by the Council, was to award certi cates to high school students who won awards for botanical projects. From 1961 through 1965, BSA did co-spon- sor an annual AAAS symposium titled “Plant Biology Today: Advances and Challenges,” whose purpose was to provide useful up- Figure 3. , President of dates on botanical research for college profes- BSA, Chairwoman of BSA Education Com- sors along the lines of the summer institutes mittee, and CUEBS panelist (liberal education (AAAS, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965). Full [non-majors], AIBS Committee on Education, proceedings were not published, but papers and the NSF Committee on Teaching Biology). from the rst three symposia were collect- (Photo complements of Lee Kass.) ed by Wadsworth in a small volume meant to supplement textbooks in advanced high e following year Greulach was replaced as school and college courses (Jensen and Ka- chair by Harriett Creighton (Fig. 3), resulting valjian, 1963, 1966). e rst edition included in a whirlwind of new activity by the Commit- papers by ve of the six 1961 presenters: James tee. A survey was sent to the membership to Bonner, molecular biology; William Jensen, get ideas about teaching models that could be the problem of cell development in plants; produced or approved by the Society, in col- Lawrence Bogorad, photosynthesis; Beatrice laboration with AIBS and the Biological Sci- Sweeney, the measurement of time in plants; ence Curriculum Study (BSCS), to facilitate and Frank Salisbury, translocation: the move- high school botanical instruction. e Com- ment of dissolved substances in plants (Jen- mittee also proposed to the Council that BSA, sen and Kavaljian, 1963). To these the second through AIBS, apply to the NSF for a grant to edition added papers by Warren H. Wagner, study the botanical content of high school and Jr, modern research on evolution in the ; college curricula. Collaboration with BSCS Bruce Bonner, phytochrome and the red, far- was seen as particularly important to obtain red system, from the 1962 symposium; and buy-in from high schools. e Committee re- Ralph Alston and Billy Turner, biochemical versed itself from the previous year and rec- methods in systematic; Henry Andrews, some ommended sponsoring one issue of ABT per recent developments in our understanding of year—a motion that was approved. e Board pteridophyte and early gymnosperm evolu- also approved a proposal to co-sponsor, with tion; Walter D. Bonner, Jr., electron transport Section G (Botanical Sciences), a symposium systems in plants; and Vernon Ahmadjian, at the forthcoming AAAS meeting in hopes cultural and physiological aspects of the li- that the proceedings would be published in chen symbiosis, from the 1963 session (Jensen the AAAS Frontiers of Plant Biology series. and Kavaljian, 1966). In response to the Committee’s recommenda- tion, the Society established a Committee on e Teaching Section also amended their by- laws in 1963. ere is no record of the orig-

136 PSB 62 (3) 2016 inal section bylaws, but the 1963 revision cal teaching charts and models. e rst three stipulated that the primary objective of the models were in production by A.J. Nystrom section was “to arrange a suitable program and Co in 1963, and by 1968 eight models of on botanical teaching in connection with the plant structure and 12 teaching charts (with annual meetings of the Botanical Society of transparencies for overhead projection) were America, Inc.” Other objectives were to en- available. Each model was accompanied by a courage sound teaching of botany, to explore small booklet, equivalent to a short textbook new methods of teaching, to assist in dissem- chapter, explaining the structure illustrated inating information about botanical teaching, (Kass, 2005). and to cooperate with other organizations to achieve these aims. Ocers should be elected Some of Creighton’s initiatives were less suc- at the annual business meeting and candidates cessful. e summer institutes did contin- should be presented by a nominating commit- ue through 1969, and a series of educational tee of two, appointed by the section chair. e pre-conferences were held in 1968, 1970, and chair and vice-chair were to serve one year 1973—but neither was sustainable. e high with the vice-chair automatically assuming school certi cate program got lost in admin- the chairmanship the following year. e sec- istrative details (designing an appropriate cer- retary treasurer had a three-year term, and the ti cate and “ nding” the ocial BSA seal to representative to the Editorial Board of the use on them) and was ultimately discontinued American Journal of Botany served a ve-year in 1965 without a single awardee (Council term (Council Minutes, 1964). Minutes, 1961-1965). Another successful initiative was the joint pro- Creighton resigned as Education Commit- gram with AIBS and BSCS to develop botani- tee chair in 1962 (to be replaced by Adolph

Commissioners Henry Koer, Vice-Chairman, 1966-7. Chairman 1967-69 (Purdue); C. Ritchie Bell (North Carolina); Winslow R. Briggs (Harvard); Martin D. Brown (Fullerton Junior College); Lincoln Constance* (Berkeley); Lafayette Frederick (Atlanta University); Arthur W. Galston* (Yale); Victor A. Greulach (North Carolina); Adolph Hecht (Washington State); James H.M. Henderson (Tus- kegee Institute); Robert W. Long (South Florida); Leonard Machlis (Berkeley); Aubrey W. Naylor (Duke); G. Ledyard Stebbins* (Davis); and Carl P. Swanson (UMass).

Executive Sta Director: Victor A. Greulach, 1964-65 (North Carolina) Sta Biologists: Donald S. Dean (Baldwin Wallace College); N. Jean Enochs (Michigan State); Franklin F. Flint (Randolph-Macon Woman’s College); Leroy G. Kavaljian (Sacramento State).

Panels Undergraduate Major Curricula: Winslow R. Briggs (Stanford); Henry Koer (Purdue) Biology in a Liberal Education: Harriet B. Creighton* (Wellesley); Charles Heimsch* (Miami University); Carl P. Swanson (Johns Hopkins). Biology in the Two-year College: Martin D. Brown, 2nd Chairman (Fullerton Junior College). Instructional Materials and Methods: Samuel N. Postlethwait (Purdue); Clarence Ta (Ohio State). Biological Facilities: C. Ritchie Bell, Chairman (North Carolina); Richard D. McKinsey (Virginia). College Instructional Personnel: Lewis E. Anderson (Duke); Sanford S. Tepfer (Oregon). Preparation of Biology Teachers: Addison E. Lee (Texas); Edward M. Palmquist (Missouri). Preprofessional Training for the Agricultural Sciences: J.R. Shay (Purdue). Interdisciplinary Cooperation: Aubrey W. Naylor, Chairman (Duke); Charles C. Bowen (Iowa State); Henry Koer (Purdue).

Table 2. BSA Members who were Ocers and Committee Members of CUEBS.

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Hecht), the same year in which CUEBS was established under the auspices of AIBS and Victor Greulach was appointed the rst execu- tive director (CUEBS, 1965). e rst CUEBS conference in February, 1964 was limited to representatives of eight universities that had already initiated new courses and curricula, but the second conference, in May, included a much broader representation from 50 colleges and universities and included Hecht and Sam- uel Postlethwait (Fig. 4) from BSA. CUEBS and BSA initiatives were closely tied for the eight years of the Commission’s existence, and many CUEBS ocers and committee mem- Figure 4. Samuel Postlethwait: BSA Teach- bers were drawn from BSA membership (Table 2). ing Section and Education Committee As Chairman of the BSA Education Commit- Chair, CUEBS panelist (Instructional Mate- tee and the Educational Materials and Meth- rials), and BSA Program Director. ods panel of CUEBS, Postlethwait spearhead- ed the integration of programs at the annual ing of botany” (Abstracts, 1965; Council Min- BSA meetings. In 1964 the Teaching Section utes, 1965). sponsored a symposium on the use of living material in botanical teaching. Paul Vestal in- In 1966, Helena Miller presided over a sym- troduced the symposium and Harriet Creigh- posium, “Basic concepts in botany—initial ton described how a sustained study of plant college course.” It was co-sponsored by the growth could provide the framework for an in- Teaching, Developmental, and General Sec- troductory course. Harold Bold spoke on “the tions of the BSA, the American Society of neglected cryptogams,” while Howard Arnott Plant Physiologists, and the NABT. James described “supermarket plant anatomy.” e Bonner, G. Ledyard Stebbins, Frederick Stew- nal paper on molecular plant was ard, and Kenneth V. imann were the speak- presented by C. Ritchie Bell (Abstracts, 1964). ers. e last three papers were subsequently e 1965 panel discussion on the progress published in Bioscience (Stebbins, 1967; Stew- in the teaching of botany was co-sponsored ard, 1967, imann, 1967). ese sessions by the Teaching Section and NSTA. Pos- were no longer updates on the eld, as in tlethwait began with a presentation on auto- the past, but were concerned with the place tutorial teaching followed by a CUEBS panel of botany in a biology curriculum, and how discussion, which included Victor Greulach, to incorporate botany into the general biol- Winslow Briggs, Lincoln Constance, Arthur ogy course. e following aernoon Martin Galston, Aubrey Naylor, G. Ledyard Stebbins, Schein and Ted Andrews presented a panel Carl Swanson, and Roy A. Young. Later that discussion and report on CUEBS activities. aernoon, W. Gordon Whaley, William Jen- In 1966 Postlethwait also sent out a question- sen, Harlan Banks, and David Anthony pre- naire to the membership to gain information sented at a teaching section symposium titled on “Tachyplants”—plants with rapid enough “Supplementing the living plant in the teach- life cycles to be completed within one semes- 138 PSB 62 (3) 2016

Figure 5. Excerpt from article by Postlethwait and Enochs (1967) highlighting the advantages of Arabidopsis thaliana. ter. is project was co-sponsored by the BSA co-sponsored by the Education Committee, Education Committee and the CUEBS Panel Teaching Section, and the AIBS Oce of Bio- on Instructional Materials and Methods. Pos- logical Education. Helena Miller directed the tlethwait and N. Jean Enochs published the conference, whose theme was to update re- results the following year in the Plant Science search on morphogenesis in plants. e pre- Bulletin (1967). Figure 5 is an excerpt from senters included Joseph O’Kelley, algae; James that article highlighting the advantages of the Lovett, fungi; Bernard Nobel, bryophytes; Au- mouse-eared cress, Arabidopsis thaliana, as gustus DeMaggio, ferns; Folke Skoog, higher a plant with great potential (Abstracts, 1966; vascular plants I; and Walter Halperin, higher Council Minutes, 1966). vascular plants II. e Education Committee and CUEBS sponsored a session of reports e 1967 annual meeting program again in- by sta on the status of several initiatives: an cluded two symposia. e rst, including overall report on the rst ve years; the sta- David Gates, Warren H. Wagner, and J. van tus of non-majors; the majors program; in- Overbeek, again focused on updating con- structional personnel; instructional materials; cepts for advanced college courses. However, and communication with CUEBS. is was the aernoon symposium, led by Postlethwait, followed by a discussion of the problems of focused on CUEBS initiatives: pedagogy, new curriculum, personnel, facilities and educa- experiments, and new technology ( lms) (Ab- tional materials. e Teaching Section also stracts 1967, Council Minutes, 1967). sponsored two symposia. e rst session fo- e 1968 BSA annual meeting marked a ban- cused on the roots of biology initiated in the ner year for education (see Fig. 1). is began elementary grades, and the second was a sym- with BSA’s rst educational preconference, posium on independent study and research

139 PSB 62 (3) 2016 on the undergraduate level. e latter includ- botany was rst proposed by Richard Klein ed courses with embedded research, short re- in 1966 (Council Minutes, 1966). is was search courses, undergraduate independent further discussed the following year at the research outside of regular courses, and the pre-conference institute. e idea was to pro- new NSF program for undergraduate research duce royalties for the BSA. In 1968 the min- (Abstracts, 1968). Session authors were invit- utes report that progress on the source book ed to submit special papers for publication in was delayed. is is the last time the project PSB to update college teachers (Council Min- appears to have been discussed; in 1970 Rich- utes, 1968). ard and Deana Klein published their Research Methods in Plant Science with no mention of e Education Committee co-sponsored two the BSA. proposals for half-day symposia at the 1969 International Botanical Congress to be held e year 1970, aer the Apollo 11 moon land- at the University of Washington. e rst fo- ing, essentially marked the end of the CUEBS cused on teaching methods in botanical edu- era. Although the Teaching Section co-spon- cation, and the second addressed the philos- sored a symposium on balanced biology pro- ophy of botanical education. However, these grams in community colleges with the AIBS proposals were unsuccessful and consequent- oce of Biological Education (Abstracts, ly there were no educational sessions at the 1970), and 11 contributed papers were pre- 1969 BSA meeting, which was held during the sented, the section chairman, J. Louis Mar- IBC (Council Minutes, 1969, 1970). tens, recommended disbanding the Teaching Section. “I move that the BSA Council drop Other initiatives of the Education Committee the Teaching Section from the current list of in the mid-1960s included a revision of the BSA sections,” primarily because aliated so- Career Opportunities in Botany booklet and cieties and other BSA sections were now in- a Guide to Graduate Study. e original Ca- cluding teaching papers in their sessions. “e reer booklet, authored by George Avery and activities of the Teaching Section appear to be Creighton, was published during the 50th an- unwarranted duplication of eort and add to niversary year, 1966, and some 30,000 copies frustration when selecting sessions to attend.” were distributed over the years. James M’Guin- In addition, section membership was “oat- ness authored the revision, Botany as a profes- ing”—mostly present and past ocers (Coun- sion, in 1966 (Page, 1967). is was reprinted cil Minutes, 1970). Indeed, the section had no in 1970, but revised as Careers in Botany in program at the 1971 joint meeting with the 1972. Subsequent revisions were completed in Canadian Botanical Society (CBA), other than 1978 (William Stern), 1986, 1988 (Roy Saigo), a co-sponsored (with CBA and AIBS) sym- and 1994 (Marsh Sundberg). Surveys were posium on botany in the undergraduate cur- sent out to all universities with Botany gradu- riculum. e 1972 program listed only seven ate programs in 1965 with the results collated teaching papers and an AIBS symposium on and published in 1966 (Hecht) and revised in AudioTutorial instruction organized by Pos- 1968 (Starr), 1971 (Palser), 1974 (Payne), 1977 tlethwait (Abstracts, 1972). e program from (Coer), 1983 (Randy Moore), and 1994 (Stern). 1973 included co-sponsorship of a Phycolog- An interesting unful lled plan to develop ical Section symposium on teaching with al- a source book of experiments for teaching gae; a single education paper was presented in the General Section (Abstracts, 1973).

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A number of factors probably contributed Anatomists, and the Plant Growth Regulator to the decline in educational BSA activities Working Group) at VPI & SU in Blacksburg, in the early and mid-1970s. e year 1970 Virginia. Other than the physiologists, this marked the end of the AAAS section G (Bot- would become the core group that continues any); henceforth, botany and zoology were to meet at Botany conferences. In prepara- combined into a single biology section of the tion for that meeting, Teaching Section Chair, Academy. is was a tting endnote to the con- Charles Curtis, sent a questionnaire to 97 de- cerns raised by Bill Stern, Hardy Eshbaugh, and partment chairs asking for information about T.K. Wilson the previous year about the demise how general botany was taught at their insti- of botany departments (Eshbaugh and Wilson, tution. Of the 55 responses, 28 were from Bot- 1969; Stern, 1969). e year 1972 marked the any or Plant Science departments and 27 from formal end of CUEBS (CUEBS, 1972). In his Biology departments. 1973 presidential address, Charlie Heimsch Sixty percent had three one-hour lectures per focused on teaching and introductory cours- week, 24% had two one-hour lectures, and es and noted the importance to departments the rest had some other combination. Only of providing botany courses attractive to 58% also taught a lab, and most of these were non-majors ful lling general education re- a single two- or three-hour lab. Raven, Evert, quirements (Heimsch, 1973). He also noted and Curtis (1976) was by far the most popular that science was now entering “a period of text, and most departments used an in-house decremental planning.” Aer more than a de- lab manual. Eighteen percent of the cours- cade of increasing support for science educa- es enrolled either fewer than 100 students or tion, the numbers were now declining. Orie J. between 10 and 200 students. Twenty-four Eigsti had pointed this out in his teaching sec- percent enrolled between 200 and 300, and tion report the previous year. e NSF budget the rest were larger (Council Minutes, 1977- for education rose from $84 million in 1962 to 78). Several of the respondents were invited $120 million in 1970, but was projected to fall to present at a BSA-Teaching Section sym- to $65 million in 1973 (Council, 1972). posium on Teaching General Botany, includ- ing Bill Jensen and Robert Knau on using multi-image lectures; Willie Koch, humanis- AIBS: the Education tic techniques for non-majors; Franklin Flint, Committee Years trends in the botanical core programs; and In 1976, Sanford Tepfer, Education Commit- Charles Curtis, who summarized the survey tee Chair, noted, “e Education Commit- responses. is session was foundational for a tee has been inactive during the past year new focus on pedagogy and best practices that and reports no accomplishments” (Minutes, continues today. 1976). is would soon begin to change. In Curtis also provided a list of contact persons 1978 BSA chose not to meet with AIBS, but for teachers of general botany in 37 states and rather to meet with the American Society of Washington, D.C. is list included Barba- Plant Physiologists (ASPB) and four other ra Palser (New Jersey), Harlan Banks (New plant biologist societies (American Bryolog- York), Ted Delevoryas (Texas), and Ray Evert ical and Lichenological Society, American (Wisconsin), who were past or future Presi- Fern Society, American Society of Plant Tax- dents of BSA. In addition to the symposium, onomists, International Association of Wood there were 12 contributed papers in the teach- 141

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providing a panel discussion on grant writ- Field Departments Doctoral Faculty Biology 134 3132 ing directed toward graduate students; a Botany 50 842 Zoology 47 998 symposium on employment opportunities with speakers from government, business, in- Table 3. Departments and Full-Time Faculty, dustry, and a university counseling center; a 1977-78 (NSF, 1980). workshop on innovative use of sophisticated media in teaching; and a survey of undergrad- ing section and a demonstration by F.H. Er- uate biology programs with a goal of ensuring bisch on the extended use of the student adequate botanical representation. Several of microscope (Council Minutes, 1978; Plant these would be accomplished in the next few Sciences, 1978). e year 1978 was also signif- years, beginning with the Saigo’s talk on AV icant for two other reasons. First, at Richard presentations the next year. Popham’s suggestion, John Romberger formu- BOTANY 80, a joint meeting of BSA and CBA lated a Young Botanists program to promote at the University of British Columbia, featured new membership, and second, this was the six concurrent laboratory teaching workshops last year NSF split out Botany and Zoology as on Sunday aernoon and a session of six con- separate elds in their reports (Table 3; NSF, tributed papers later in the week. Although 1980). e gradual demise of botany programs BSA had a history of summer workshops in in the United States has been of long-stand- the 1950s and 1960s, these were intended to ing concern to the Society (Eshbaugh, 1983; be opportunities for college faculty to update Sundberg, 2000, 2004). their understanding of various topics and e 1979 program built upon the momentum subdisciplines. e BOTANY 80 workshops, of the previous year with 14 contributed pa- strongly inuenced by the Canadians, focused pers, two symposia, two demonstrations, and on laboratory activities that could be used or a co-sponsored lecture. A new name was on amended by the participants in their own the program for both symposia: Roy Saigo, courses. Susan Waaland (University of Wash- who presented on “Who will be teaching bot- ington) used uorescent staining to demon- any in the 1980s and 1990s” and “Current and strate algal cell elongation. Vipen Sawney and future trends in faculty evaluations.” Saigo Taylor Steeves (University of Saskatchewan) and his wife, Barbara, were tireless promoters demonstrated the usefulness of lettuce hypo- of botanical education, very good at delegat- cotyls on the study of growth and growth reg- ing responsibility, and tuned in to develop- ulation. Roy Turkington (University of Brit- ments on the national level. For most of the ish Columbia) used data sets to demonstrate next two decades, Roy and Barb directly or teaching experimental eld ecology. and Lar- indirectly aected the education programs of ry and Carol Peterson (University of Guelph) the BSA. One of the other rst-time teaching also demonstrated uorescence techniques section presenters, Marshall Sundberg, gave a but on fresh hand sections of living plant contributed paper on plant biorhythms in the materials. Ian Ross (University of California, laboratory (Abstracts, 1979; AIBS, 1979). Santa Barbara) demonstrated fungal experi- mentation, and John Bean, Larry Morse, and In its annual report, the Education Com- Richard Rabeler (NSF and Michigan State mittee suggested four possible topics for up- University) demonstrated computer-assisted coming meeting programs. ese included plant identi cation (Abstracts, 1980).

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Roy Saigo was elected Teaching Section Pro- eration, approximately 100 were duplicated gram Chair at this meeting and immediately and organized into a set (all originals were began to reenergize the section. e success returned to the donors). On ursday morn- of participant-active workshops was immedi- ing of the 1981 meeting, the set was screened ately picked up although only two workshops and attendees could order copies of any of the were oered in 1981. To remedy this, the sec- slides in the set. e positive response, with tion formed an ad-hoc Workshop Committee more than 1000 slides distributed, encour- to solicit presenters and coordinate the pro- aged expansion of the sets, which forms the gram. David Webb was committee chair in core of the current image collection on the 1982 and 1983, and Gordon Uno in 1984 and BSA homepage (http://pix.botany.org/index. 1985. During these years a variety of formats php?module=simplemedia&type=user&- were tried to optimize attendance. In 1982 a func=view&ot=collection&tpl=tree) workshop on plant tissue culture techniques was scheduled as a regular Tuesday session However, the response also highlighted the (AIBS, 1982). In 1983 three workshops were limitation of a single “showing” (Anonymous, scheduled, in coordination with CBA, on 1982). Consequently, Sundberg negotiated Tuesday aernoon, Tuesday evening, and with AIBS to set up a cost-free booth in the Wednesday morning (AIBS, 1983). In 1984 exhibit area where the sets would be available one workshop on vegetation remote sensing for viewing at any time during the conference. was co-sponsored by the Ecological Section e booth also served as a repository for hand- and oered twice on Sunday morning and af- outs from the workshops so that members ternoon. Two more workshops were co-spon- who were unable to attend a workshop could sored by the Developmental and Structural still gather materials. Hundreds of handouts Section. ese were also oered twice, either and more than 4000 slides were distributed in Sunday morning and evening (clearing tech- this way during the rst three years (Anon- niques) or Sunday aernoon and evening ymous, 1982, 1983, 1984). In 1983 a new (control of Impatiens pollen tube growth). item was available in the booth: a $5.00 BSA A fourth workshop on stereological analysis baseball cap, the rst article of BSA clothing was co-sponsored by the Developmental and (Council, 1983). It quickly became apparent Structural Section on Monday morning. AIBS that volunteers would be needed to help run also oered a “computers in bioeducation” future booths. For several years Lee Kass took workshop Sunday morning (Abstracts, 1984; the lead on this project, scheduling volunteers AIBS, 1984). e success of the Sunday work- to run the booth throughout the exhibitor shops made them a staple of annual meeting display hours. In addition to active teaching programs through today. section members, many others volunteered, such as Society ocers Carol Baskin, David Another long-standing innovation initiat- Dilcher, Ernest Giord, Judy Jernstedt, and ed at the BOTANY 80 meeting began with others (Anonymous, 1984, 1985). Jernstedt Sundberg’s proposal at the Teaching Section was instrumental not only in transitioning the Business Meeting for an exchange of teach- booth from the Teaching Section to the BSA ing slides. e following year, a call was put at large, which continues to this day, but also out to the membership to share slides repre- in designing the BSA logo. sentative of the biomes of North America. Of the hundreds of slides submitted for consid- At the national level, science education re- 143 PSB 62 (3) 2016 ceived a Sputnik boost in 1957 that led to was not successful, the BSA was a participant CUEBS and the commissions for the other in the 1991 Wingspread meeting that result- sciences, but with the loss of federal fund- ed in the formation of the Coalition for Edu- ing in 1970, priority for science education cation in the Life Sciences (CELS) with Barb had been gradually decreasing. is changed Saigo and Terry Huord representing the BSA dramatically again with the report A Nation (Council, 1991; CELS, 1998a). Finally, in 1998, at Risk (NCEE, 1983), which focused on CELS co-sponsored a workshop, “Toward Lit- K-12 education, and subsequently the NSBT eracy in Plant Biology,” with Rob Reinsvold Committee on Undergraduate Science and and Marsh Sundberg representing BSA and Engineering Education, the so-called Neill Susan Singer and Paul Williams representing Report, which identified serious problems in the American Association of Plant Physiolo- undergraduate science education and made a gists (ASPP), who co-sponsored the meeting number of recommendations, including for (CELS, 1998b). It was at this meeting that the academic institutions and professional societ- ASPP’s Principles of Plant Biology: Concepts ies (NSB, 1986). Societies were charged with for Science Education were introduced, which helping to improve science education and were eventually adopted by BSA in 2012 as bridging the academic and industrial worlds. the ASPB/BSA Statement on Botany in the Discipline-based recommendations were pro- Curriculum (Council, 2012). Although CELS vided by NSF (1989) with Peter Raven head- was short lived, it was eventually subsumed ing the biology group. Among the recommen- into the current Center for Biology Education dations were to enhance laboratory and field at the University of Wisconsin, and it was a experiences, particularly with inquiry-type forerunner of several multi-society groups fo- activities, to develop stimulating introductory cused on biology education that went beyond courses, to reward quality teaching, and to re- the organismal societies represented in AIBS, cruit and retain students. particularly involving the cell biologists and microbiologists. As with earlier national eorts, the BSA was a leader in many of the initiatives that followed. In 1950 the Teaching Section proposed that Workshops promoting eld and laborato- the Society establish an award for teaching, ry activities were now a staple of the annual but that motion was tabled (Sundberg, 2014). meetings, and the AIBS Education Commit- e idea of a teaching award to highlight the tee, now under Saigo’s leadership, was coordi- importance of botanical education resurfaced nating with BSA in presenting workshops and in 1987 during a brief discussion initiated by symposia at the joint annual meetings. is Barbara Saigo at the Teaching Section Busi- reached its apex at the 1995 meeting in San ness meeting. Chairman Uno appointed an Diego where a single, but multiple-session, ad-hoc committee of Drs. John Novak, Janet AIBS-led symposium included more than Detlo, and Jeanette Mullins to prepare such 50 papers highlighting recent NSF education a proposal. A proposal to establish the Charles equipment grants (see Fig. 1; AIBS, 1995). E. Bessey Award was included as the fourth of ve amendments to the Section Bylaws the In 1986 Saigo rst presented a proposal for following year—all of which passed unani- a plant science education conference at the mously (Minutes, 1987, 1988; see Table 4). Wingspread Foundation in Racine, Wiscon- sin (Council, 1986). Although this proposal

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At the annual meeting of the Botanical So- Ray Evert, to provide research and education- ciety of America, the Teaching Section may bestow the Charles E. Bessey Award to one al goals, priorities, and opportunities for the or more persons judged to have made out- 21st century. e subcommittee on Education standing contributions in botanical instruc- and Teaching consisted of Marshall Sundberg tion. The award(s) shall be determined by (chair), Jack Carter, Donald Galitz, Bruce Kir- an Award Committee appointed from the cho, Randy Moore, and Gordon Uno. It is Section by the Chairperson of the Section and consisting of a Chairperson, the Secre- signi cant that two thirds of the bulleted ac- tary-Treasurer of the Section, and one oth- tion items in this report directly relate to edu- er member each serving three-year terms, cation and teaching (BSA, 1995; Fig. 6; http:// with one new member being appointed botany.org/bsa/millen/). each year. The President of the Botani- cal Society of America, or designee, is an is document continues to serve as a guide ex officio member of the Committee. The to educational programs in the Society. Committee shall prepare a short citation for the awardee(s) and shall inform the Secre- tary of the Society of its selection(s) at least one month in advance of the meeting during Next Millennium Years which the award(s) is (are) to be presented. (Bessey Award, 1988) One of the rst eorts to implement some of the strategies outlined in Botany for the Next Four years later, the section voted to establish Millennium was for the BSA to participate a new award, the Samuel Postlethwait Award, in the annual meetings of the NABT and/or “for meritorious service to the Teaching Sec- NSTA. During the CUEBS years, NABT fre- tion of the BSA” (Council Minutes, 1992). is quently met with the BSA and AIBS, and joint was also the year another of Creighton’s ideas symposia and paper sessions were common, came to fruition—a BSA recognition for high but during the intervening years there was no school students. e Society made a three- formal participation with either educational year commitment to participate in the Inter- group. Gordon Uno had special interest in national Science and Engineering Fair, pro- establishing a BSA presence at these teach- viding rst-, second-, and third-place awards er conferences as he was elected President of in plant biology (Council, 1992). In 1995 Sci- NABT the year the Millennium report was ence Service increased the participation fee published. For the next several years, rst un- and mandated that all awards be at least $500. der David Kramer’s leadership and then un- e Board approved, but the program was der Rob Reinsvold, the Education Committee discontinued because of the diculty of ob- was awarded funds from the Council to send taining judges. During the three years of the teams of two or three BSA members to lead program, more than 60 botanical entries were workshops and run booths at both the NABT judged per year, the h highest number of and NSTA meetings. In addition to Kramer projects among all disciplines (Council, 1992, and Reinsvold, frequent presenters at these 1993, 1994). meetings included Stanley Rice, Ethel Stanley, and Daniel (Tim) Gerber (Council Minutes, A major achievement for the Society in 1995 1998-2002). For the rst several years, $10,400 was publication of the booklet, Botany for the was allocated to send teams out, but by 2001 Next Millennium (BSA, 1995). is project be- only $7000 was allocated. gan when President William Louis Culberson appointed a steering committee, chaired by e year 2002 saw a major shi in direction of 145 PSB 62 (3) 2016

To support this meeting “add-on,” Osborn ob- tained additional sponsorship through NSF, Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), the Deep Gene Research Coordination Network, and Prentice Hall publishers. Arguably the most signi cant Forum oc- curred the following year in Mobile, Ala- bama. Although this was a much smaller meeting overall, only two thirds the size of the previous year, a similar format was used for the Forum. ere were 14 Saturday sessions and 8 workshops. e plenary speaker was Dr. Bruce Alberts, President of the National Academy of Sciences, who spoke on “Science education and the national science education standards: the challenges ahead.” During in- formal discussions with BSA Executive Di- rector Bill Dahl, however, Alberts challenged the BSA to come up with a way to impact Figure 6. Botany for the Next Millennium botany instruction at the K-12 level, and he with summary table (pp. 28, 29). mentioned a California program, ACME Ani- mations, where professional animation artists had established an eective mentoring pro- BSA education under the guidance of Program gram for high school students (Council Min- Director, Jerey Osborn. His initiative resur- utes, 2003). is was the seed that developed rected Creighton’s idea of holding pre-confer- into PlantingScience (see below). ence workshops (see above), this time as the e Educational Forum continued as a major BSA Educational Symposium. e rst Ed- driver of BSA educational activities through ucational Symposium preceded Botany 2002 the BSA/ASPB 2007 joint conference in Chi- on the University of Wisconsin campus, the cago (see Fig. 1). e 2004 Forum included site of the 1998 CELS conference “Towards lit- 12 sessions and 7 workshops with a keynote eracy in plant biology” (CELS, 1998b). by Eugenie Scott on “Just when you thought e Forum began with a Friday evening re- it was safe to teach evolution...” (Council ception followed by a day of 23 panels, discus- Minutes, 2004). In 2005, 18 sessions and 12 sions, and breakout groups on Saturday and workshops were presented with a keynote 16 Sunday workshops. e Saturday sessions by Barbara Schultz, teacher leader of the Na- were grouped into ve threads, and the day tional Academy of Science’s National Teach- culminated with a Keynote Address by bota- ers Advisory Council (Council Minutes). e nist and textbook author, Neil Campbell: “Bot- Educational Forum for the 2006 Centennial any education in our schools and colleges: an meeting included 12 sessions and 11 work- optimistic forecast” (Council Minutes, 2002). shops, and Roger Hangarter’s keynote presen-

146 PSB 62 (3) 2016 tation on “Communicating and awareness of concept activity; establish a funding and de- plants through science and art” included sev- velopment plan; and form an advisory com- eral clips from his Plants in Motion website mittee to guide further development (Dahl, (Council Minutes, 2006). e nal forum in 2004; Hauer and Sundberg, 2009). 2007 included 6 sessions, 10 workshops, and a short course on Teaching Innovations by e objectives of the project directly focused Jim Wandersee and Marsh Sundberg in which on the BSA mission and Botany for the Millen- participants earned 0.5 Continuing Education nium report: to promote botany, to improve Units credit (Council Minutes, 2007). formal and informal botanical education, to encourage basic plant research, to provide ex- Although quite successful, the BSA Education pertise about plants, and to foster communi- Forum was an initiative driven by the BSA cation between botanists and the public. BSA Program Directors, with considerable exter- Sci-π project also had six more speci c objec- nal support, and could not be sustained by the tives: Education Committee or Teaching Section alone. 1. Promote BSA leadership in the plant sci- ences. In 2004, the Bessey Award was transferred from the Teaching Section to become a Soci- 2. Promote botany and the plant sciences to ety-wide award with the intent of increasing the public. its prestige and generating more nominees. 3. Establish an eective plant-based educa- is has had considerable success (Table 4). tional outreach program at the K-12 level pro- is was also the year that an ad-hoc commit- moting scienti c inquiry. tee was established to act on Albert’s challenge the previous year and investigate the potential 4. Create an opportunity to foster relation- of the Acme Animation project. ships with other plant scientists At the Botany 2004 conference, Bill Dahl and 5. Provide a forum for mentorship and devel- Acme Animation’s founder, Dave Master, pre- opment in the plant sciences sented the concept of BSA Sci-π. A follow-up 6. Establish a framework for developing ed- meeting was held in August at the University ucational programs across scienti c societies of Kansas where Dahl and Master present- and potentially with commercial organiza- ed an in-depth demonstration of the Acme tions. website to an ad-hoc committee of BSA Pres- ident-elect Christopher Hauer, PSB Editor An allocation of $9800 was requested from the Marsh Sundberg, and BSA members Jennifer Society to establish three working committees Archibald and Mark Mort. e concept was tasked to develop and implement a pilot be- to use an interactive web page to coordinate fore the end of the year. A key to this devel- student group projects at secondary schools opment was the hiring of Claire Hemingway under the mentorship of professional bota- in November, 2005, whose primary focus was nists. Following this meeting, the committee to facilitate and coordinate BSA educational recommended that the Education Committee eorts and the Sci-π pilot project (Fig. 7). In move forward to design and implement a BSA addition to Dahl and Hemingway, the work- Sci-π pilot project to demonstrate proof of ing group who met in January included Rob

147 23 PSB 62 (3) 2016

1 Table 4. Botanical Society of America Education/Teaching Awards.

Date Charles E. Bessey Award Samuel Noel Postlethwait Award 1989 Samuel N. Postlethwait 1990 Barbara W. and Roy H. Saigo 1991 Gordon E. Uno 1992 Marshall D. Sundberg 1993 Lawrence J. Crockett Jerry M. and Carol C. Baskin 1994 Ritchie Franks, Jeanette Mullins, Jan Balling 1997 Joseph E. Armstrong John S. Galitz 1999 William A. Jensen 2000 Robert J. (Rob) Reinsvold 2003 Joseph D. Novak 2005 Donald R. Kaplan 2006 W. Hardy Eshbaugh, David W. Lee 2007 Thomas L. Rost, James H. Wandersee 2008 Beverly J. Brown, Michael Pollan 2009 Roger P. Handgarter 2010 Geoff E. Burrows, Christopher T. Martine 2011 Susan R. Singer 2012 Paul H. William, Leslie G. Hickock, Thomas R. Warne 2013 Shona M. Ellis James H. Wandersee 2014 Bruce K. Kirchoff Marshall D. Sundberg 2016 Stokes Baker 2 Table 4. Botanical Society of America Education/Teaching Awards.

Brandt (BSA oce), Je Osborn, Gordon Uno, of an inquiry immersion experience focused Marsh Sundberg, Beverly Brown, and Barbara on two of the PlantingScience modules, while Schultz and Peggy Skinner from the National the last three days used discussion groups and Academy of Science’s National Teachers Advi- collaborative team building among participat- sory Council. e team developed “e Won- ing teachers to design classroom implemen- der of Seeds” and changed the project name to tation. e immersion activities involved role SIP3 before the fall pilot, which involved more playing, with the module developer playing than 400 students in 10 schools and nearly the role of teacher and participants divided 40 scientist mentors (Hauer and Sundberg, into student research teams. Research teams 2009). Additional modules were developed were enrolled in a mock PlantingScience web- and tested, and ASPB became a formal partner site and reported daily getting feedback from in 2006 when the name was again changed to the developers who now functioned as scien- PlantingScience. Formal mentor training also tist mentors. began in 2006 with the inauguration of the Master Plant Science Team (Hemingway and By 2012, eight modules had been developed Dahl, 2007). In 2007 the project was awarded and over 15,000 students in 38 states and sev- a Monsanto Fund grant of $81,173 over a two- eral foreign countries discussed their plant year period for materials development. Later investigations with scientist/mentors. In ad- the same year NSF provided $1,576,294 for a dition to several journal publications (Hem- three-year Planting Science Research in Edu- ingway et al., 2011, Hemingway and Packard, cation Study. 2011; Peterson and Stuessy, 2011; Stuessy et al., 2012), a book-length practical guide was A major component of the NSF grant was four produced by Uno, Sundberg, and Hemingway PlantingScience Summer Science Institutes for (2013). In 2015 a new PlantingScience: Dig- teachers (Fig. 8). e rst ve days consisted ging Deeper Together grant ($2.9 million) was

148 PSB 62 (3) 2016

Figure 7. Evolution of PlantingScience from top le around BSA Executive Director Bill Dahl: Sci-π; Sip3; PlantingScience.; Education Director Claire Hemingway funded by NSF to bring the program to new tor-at-Large serves as the liaison between all levels (AAAS, 2015). of the other entities and the BSA Board. e Teaching Section is primarily responsible for A nal major change in botanical education programs at the annual meetings, especially within BSA was a structural organizational contributed paper and poster sessions, sec- change in 2009. To improve the eciency of tion business meetings, and symposia. e the governance structure of the society, three Education Committee, while involved with new Director-at-Large positions were estab- symposia at the annual meeting, is primarily lished to oversee and coordinate major areas of involved with Society-wide educational pro- function. One of these was Director-at-Large grams, especially outreach activities and col- for Education. As one of his rst activities, laborations with other societies. For example, Chris Hauer, the rst Director-at-Large, other current initiatives include Plant Ed, the called for a BSA Education Summit to discuss U.S. Science and Engineering Festivals, Life the roles of the BSA Director-at-Large for Ed- Discovery workshops, and Botany Booth in a ucation, the BSA Education Director, the Ed- Box competition. e Education Director has ucation Committee, and the Teaching Section primary responsibility for PlantingScience (Hauer, 2010). and other collaborations and serves as the e organizational plan and responsibilities sta support persons for both the Teaching are summarized in Fig. 9. In short, the Direc- Section and Education Committee. 149 PSB 62 (3) 2016

...the continued close association between BSA and AIBS provided an opportunity for a new group of botanical educators, botanists with positions requiring a major teaching emphasis, to provide a new focus, emphasizing Figure 8. Participants at the 2011 Planting- Science Summer Science Institute, veterans of interdisciplinary the 2010 institute, involved in a special “fern cooperation and challenge.” From le: Dick Willis (back), Kim outreach that continues Partt, Amanda Schrader, Kurt Springer, and Stan Kosmosky. (Photo compliments of Claire to the present. Hemingway.)

and AIBS provided an opportunity for a new group of botanical educators, botanists with Summary positions requiring a major teaching empha- sis, to provide a new focus, emphasizing in- e CUEBS era is in some ways comparable terdisciplinary cooperation and outreach that to the early days of BSA educational activities. continues to the present. At the same time the Some of the most active participation was by Society was raising concerns about what role leading botanical researchers, including sev- botany would play in the changing scienti c eral presidents of the Society. Furthermore, landscape moving toward the new millenni- CUEBS and its parent, AIBS, also provided um. It was clear that both formal and public a forum through which BSA members pro- education about plant science would be crit- vided national leadership in science educa- ical, and this formed much of the framework tion initiatives stimulated by Sputnik and the for the resulting publication Botany for the perception that the United States was falling Next Millennium, in which many of the goals behind the Soviets in science innovation. Un- and actions relate to outreach and education. fortunately, with the Apollo moon landing in 1969, it became clear that this “science gap” With Botany for the Next Millennium as a was more imagined than real and funding for guide, two major initiatives were instigated in many of the NSF-sponsored science educa- the early 2000s: the BSA Educational Forums tion programs, including CUEBS, was cut. and PlantingScience. e latter is arguably the single most important and successful educa- With the urgency gone, it is not surprising tional initiative ever undertaken by the Soci- that BSA educational activities waned, but ety and has the potential to rejuvenate botany the continued close association between BSA as a go-to discipline for young scientists-to-be. 150 PSB 62 (3) 2016

Attracting and training young plant scientists is especially critical given the global environ- mental challenges facing society (Sundberg et al., 2011). e recent addition of aliate so- cieties to the PlantingScience team—such as

Botanical education, through the BSA, has the potential to achieve the vision of “strengthening education and communication about plants and botanical sciences at all levels of society” and thus imbuing botany with renewed Figure 9. Organizational plan and responsi- vigor during the BSA’s bilities of BSA Educational entities (modied second century. from PSB 56: 152.)

e American Phytopathological Society, the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Acknowledgements Science Society, the Ecological Society of I want to thank the BSA professional staff America, and the Soil Science Society, among in the St. Louis office, particularly Richard others—will enhance our ability to make a Hund, for their assistance and support in lo- convincing argument that botany and plant cating materials and records and providing science is critical to feeding the world, pro- research space. I also wish to thank two anon- tecting biodiversity, and moderating climate ymous reviewers for their helpful comments change. Botanical education, through the on the original draft. BSA, has the potential to achieve the vision of “strengthening education and communi- cation about plants and botanical sciences at Literature Cited all levels of society” and thus imbuing botany Abstracts of Papers. 1964. American Journal of Botany 51(6) part 2: 641. with renewed vigor during the BSA’s second century (BSA, 1995). Abstracts of Papers. 1965. American Journal of Botany 52(6) part 2: 653-654.

Abstracts of Papers. 1966. American Journal of Botany 53(6) part 2: 641. 151 PSB 62 (3) 2016

Abstracts of Papers. 1967. American Journal of American Institute of Biological Sciences. 1979. Botany 54(6) part 2: 662-663. 35th Annual Meeting Program. Washington, D.C. pp 29, 83-85. Abstracts of Papers. 1968. American Journal of Botany 55(6) part 2: 741. American Institute of Biological Sciences. 1982. 28th Annual Meeting Program. Washington, D.C. Abstracts of Papers. 1970. American Journal of Botany 57(6) part 2: 766-767. American Institute of Biological Sciences. 1983. 29th Annual Meeting Program. Washington, D.C. Abstracts of Papers. 1972. American Journal of Botany 59(6) part 2: 673-674. American Institute of Biological Sciences. 1984. 30th Annual Meeting Program. Washington, D.C. Abstracts of Papers. 1973. American Journal of Botany 60(4) supplement: 37. American Institute of Biological Sciences. 1995. 46th Annual Meeting Program. Washington, D.C. Abstracts of Papers. 1979. Botanical Society of America, Miscellaneous Series 149: 70. Anonymous. 1982. Teaching Section exchanges continue. Plant Science Bulletin 28: 43. Abstracts of Papers. 1980. Botanical Society of America, Miscellaneous Series 150: 3-4. Anonymous. 1983. Teaching Section slide ex- change program. Plant Science Bulletin 29: 35. Abstracts of Papers. 1984. American Journal of Botany 71(5) part 2: 201-203. Anonymous. 1984. Plant Science Bulletin 30.

American Association for the Advancement of Anonymous. 1985. Teaching Section information. Science. 1961. Annual Meeting Program. Science Plant Science Bulletin 31: 39. 134: 1633. Bessey Award. 1988. Proposed Amendments, American Association for the Advancement of Teaching Section By-Laws, August, 1988, p. 2. Science. 1962. Annual Meeting Program. Science 138: 1133. Botanical Society of America. 1995. Botany for the next millennium: A report from the Botanical American Association for the Advancement of Society of America. Columbus, OH. Science. 1963. Annual Meeting Program. Science 140: 912. Coalition for Education in the Life Sciences. 1998a. Professional Societies and the Faculty American Association for the Advancement of Scholar: Promoting Scholarship and Learning in Science. 1964. Annual Meeting Program. Science the Life Sciences. CELS, Madison, WI. 146: 1347. Coalition for Education in the Life Sciences. American Association for the Advancement of 1998b. Towards Literacy in Plant Biology. CELS, Science. 1965. Annual Meeting Program. Science Madison, WI. 150: 1350. Commission on Undergraduate Education in the American Association for the Advancement of Biological Sciences. 1965. History and objectives Science. 2015. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_re- of the Commission. CUEBS News 1: 1. leases/2015-10/bsoa-pa093015.php. Commission on Undergraduate Education in the American Institute of Biological Sciences. 1972. Biological Sciences. 1972. CUEBS, 1963-1972: The AIBS Story. Washington, D.C. its history and final report.CUEBS News 8: (Final Report), 1-28.

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Council Minutes, Botanical Society of America. Jensen, William A. and Leroy G. Kavaljian. 1966. 1960-1989, 1991-1995, 1997, 1999-2002, 2004- Plant Biology Today: Advances and Challenges, 2007, 2009-2010, 2012. ed 2. Wadsworth, Belmont, California.

Cox, Hidon T. 1956. AIBS and the Society. Plant Kass, Lee B. 2005. Harriet B. Creighton: Proud Science Bulletin 2: 7. Botanist. Plant Science Bulletin 51: 118-125.

Dahl, William. 2004. Report to the BSA Educa- Klein, Richard M. and Deana T. Klein. 1970. Re- tion Committee. search Methods in Plant Science. Natural History Press, Garden City, New York. DiSelvestro, Roger L. 1997. The first half centu- ry: a history of AIBS. BioScience 47: 643-649. Minutes of the Teaching Section, BSA. 1988. Business meeting minutes, 17 August, p. 2. Eshbaugh, W. Hardy and Thomas K. Wilson. 1969. Departments of Botany, Passé?BioScience National Commission on Excellence in Educa- 19: 1072-1074. tion. 1983. A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. Washington, D.C. Eshbaugh, W. Hardy. 1983. Plant biology in the future. Plant Science Bulletin 29(6). National Science Board Task Committee on Un- dergraduate Science and Engineering Education. Haufler, Christopher H. 2010. Good Green Teach- 1986. Undergraduate Science, Mathematics and ing Colleagues. Plant Science Bulletin 56: 151- Engineering Education. National Science Board, 154. Washington, D.C.

Haufler, Christopher H. and Marshall D. Sund- National Science Foundation. 1980. Science Edu- berg. 2009. Symposium on scientific literacy: in- cation Databook. Washington, D.C. troduction. American Journal of Botany 96: 1751- 1752. National Science Foundation. 1989. Report on the National Science Foundation disciplinary work- Heimsch, Charles. 1973. Teaching and Introduc- shops on undergraduate education. Washington, tory Courses. Plant Science Bulletin 19: 50-53. D.C.

Hemingway, Claire A. and William Dahl. 2007. Page, Robert M. 1967. Thoughts on Botany as a Progress Report, PlantingScience Steering Com- Profession. Plant Science Bulletin 13: 3-4. mittee. Peterson, Cheryl A. and Carol L. Stuessy. 2011. Hemingway, Claire A., William Dahl, Christopher The online elements of inquiry checklist: evalu- H. Haufler, and Carol L. Stuessy. 2011. Building ating an innovative online learning community botanical literacy. Science 331: 1535-1536. providing opportunities for scientific practice and discourse among students, scientists, and teach- Hemingway, Claire A. and Carol Packard. 2011. ers. In P. Resta (Ed.), Proceedings of World Con- Seeds of wonder and discovery. Science Scope 34: ference on E-Learning in corporate, government, 38-41. healthcare, and higher education. Chesapeake, Jensen, William A. and Leroy G. Kavaljian. 1963. VA: AACE. Plant Biology Today: Advances and Challenges. Plant Sciences Conference. 1978. All society pro- Wadsworth, Belmont, California. gram. Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State Uni- versity, Blacksburg, Virginia.

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Postlethwait, S.N. and N. Jean Enochs. 1967. Sundberg, Marshall D. 2004. Where is botany go- Tachyplants suited to instruction and research. ing? Plant Science Bulletin 50: 2-7. Plant Science Bulletin 13 (2): 1-5. Sundberg, Marshall D. 2014. Botanical Education Raven, Peter H., Ray F. Evert, and Helena Curtis. in the United States: Part 3. The Botanical Society 1976. Biology of Plants, ed 2. Worth Publishing, builds the discipline, 1895-1960. Plant Science Inc., New York. Bulletin 60(1): 28-61.

Stebbins, J. Ledyard. 1967. The place of botany Sundberg, Marshall D., Patricia Deangelis, Kayri in a unified science of biology.BioScience 17: 83- Havens, Kent Holsinger, Kathryn Kennedy, An- 87. drea T. Kramer, Rachel Muir, et al. 2011. Percep- tions of strengths and deficiencies: Disconnects Stern, William L. 1969. Quo Vadis, Botanicam? between graduate students and prospective em- Plant Science Bulletin 15 (2): 1-4. ployers. BioScience 61: 133-138.

Steward, F. C. 1967. Botany in the biology curric- Thimann, Kenneth V. 1967. General Biology ulum. BioScience 17: 88-91. Teaching. BioScience 17: 91-94.

Stuessy, Carol, Carol Peterson, Lynn Ruebush, Uno, Gordon E., Marshall D. Sundberg, and Claire and Claire A. Hemingway. 2012. There’s more to A. Hemingway. 2013. Inquiring about Plants: A IT than pre-post gains: Outcomes in inquiry-based Practical Guide to Engaging Science Practices. learning environments engaging research scien- St. Louis, MO: Botanical Society of America. tists as online mentors. In P. Resta (Ed.), Pro- ceedings of Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2012. Chesapeake, VA: AACE.

Sundberg, Marshall D. 2000. Editorial. Plant Sci- ence Bulletin 46: 3.

154 SCIENCE EDUCATION

PlantingScience Launches New Website, Needs Volunteer Scientist Mentors! e new PlantingScience.org website, now To meet the increased demand for mentors, based on the HubZero scienti c collaboration we need your help (Figure 1). Please consider platform, is launching this fall. e website has signing up on the website to mentor a team been completely redesigned to take advantage or two this fall! It takes just an hour or so per of the new platform’s community features and week, and you can mentor from anywhere resource sharing capabilities. with an internet connection. If you already mentor, do you know colleagues who might We have a full cohort of teachers signed up to be able to help? Please help us spread the word work with PlantingScience modules this fall. about this easy way to share your passion for Our Digging Deeper teachers will be partici- plant sciences with the next generation. pating with their students using a new version of our Power of Sunlight photosynthesis and respiration investigation theme. Altogether we are expecting 65 teachers and several thou- sand students to be online this fall. is is the largest session we have hosted in our 11-year history!

By Catrina Adams, Education Director BSA Science Education News and Notes is a quarterly update about the BSA’s educa- tion e orts and the broader education scene. We invite you to submit news items or ideas for future features. Contact Catrina Adams, Education Director, at [email protected]. Figure 1. PlantingScience seeking 100 new sci- entist mentors. 155 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Science Education

Once again, we will have the help of a selected Digging Deeper cohort of early career scientists who will serve as Master Plant Science Team members, help- Professional Development ing our teachers to work with other scientists Workshops Challenge and keeping the team conversations going strong. Congratulations to the 2016-2017 PlantingScience Teachers Master Plant Science Team: Jesse Adams, and Early Career Scientists, Kara Baldwin, Katie Becklin, Amanda Beno- it, Matthew Bond, Riva Bruenn, Sally Marie Create Deeper Chambers, Victory Coey, Lia Corbett, Tay- Relationships lor Crow, Derek Denney, Jessa Finch, Kelsey Fisher, Diana Gamba, Robert Harbert, Ju- e BSA, Biological Sciences Curriculum lia Gardener Harencar, Irene Liao, Elizabeth Study (BSCS), and the American Society of Marcella Lombardi, Wendy McBride, Christi- Plant Biologists (ASPT) teamed together this na L. McClung, Nora Mitchell, Juliet Oshiro, summer to create a professional development Agnesa Redere, Carrie Malina Tribble, Joshua workshop for a cohort of 50+ science teachers P. Vandenbrink, Daniel Winkler, Heidi Wipf, and early career scientists (Fig. 2). Together, Brett Younginger, and Justin Zweck. teachers and scientists strategized about how to use the PlantingScience online mentoring

Figure 2. Collage of pictures of teachers and early career scientists working together at the Digging Deeper Professional Development workshop held in Colorado Springs in June and July. 156 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Science Education program to engage high school students and jointly support students in doing real science Botany Booth in a Box projects. Competition Entertains and With chart paper, sticky notes, algae balls, Inspires Botany 2016 aquatic plants, leaf disks, and laptops cov- ering every available surface, mentors and Attendees teachers connected over teaching techniques e rst Botany in a Box Outreach competi- and photosynthesis investigations. Using the tion was held during the opening reception at “Power of Sunlight” module as a jumping Botany 2016 in Savannah, GA (Figure 3). Nine point, teachers worked as students through booths were arrayed at the far end of the ex- the revised module and practiced using the hibit hall, and competitors shared everything new PlantingScience website, which provides from giant posterboard cell diagrams for tak- new tools for bringing teachers, scientists, ing “Cell es” to microscopic cattail pollen for and students together. Teachers and scientists a Citizen Science Cattail Monitoring project. learned new teaching techniques, such as sev- Botany attendees ocked around the tables, eral of the BSCS STeLLA Strategies (Science learning more about the outreach eorts of Teachers Learning through Lesson Analysis). BSA members and voting for their favorite ey will use these new strategies while teach- booth activities. It was a mad rush at the end ing science in the classroom, especially some of the evening to get all the ballots collected of the challenging concepts of photosynthe- and counted before announcing the winners sis. Mentors and teachers both thoroughly at the end of the reception. enjoyed the professional development train- ing and are excited to implement their newly e overall top prize went to Jessica Stephens learned strategies online and in the classroom and Chelsea Cunard for the booth “Oddities this fall. of Botany: Using Carnivorous Plants to Ex- plain Diversity,” and the student prize went to Jennifer Blake Mahmud for the booth “Seeds, Seeds Everywhere! Seed Dispersal of Wild and Weedy Plants.” anks to all our competitors for sharing their outreach ideas (Figure 4)!

Figure 3. Botany Booth in a Box Bal- lot with contestants and entries listed.

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Figure 4. Collage of several of the Botany Booth in a Box entries, with competition winners Jessica Stephens and Chelsea Cunard (at center).

Botany Booth in a Box Lending Program Coming Soon Winning projects will be coming to the www.PlantEd.org digital library, and we are working on putting together boxes based on the winning entries that will be available for BSA members to “check out” for local outreach events. More information about these boxes and about how the loan program will work will be coming in a future PSB and via membership e-mails.

158 STUDENT SECTION

10 Years of Student Reps, and 10 Questions Featuring BSA’s New Student Representative to the BSA Board, James McDaniel Each year, the Executive Board of the Botan- ical Society of America holds an election to replace the board members whose terms have come to an end. is always includes one of the student representative positions, as each of the two student reps serves a two-year term. e student representative position was rst created in 2006 as a way to engage student members of BSA in the governance of the so- ciety, meaning that this year we can celebrate 10 years of BSA student reps! To celebrate our 11th elected representative, James McDaniel of University of Wisconsin-Madison, current student rep Becky Povilus and outgoing stu- dent rep Angela McDonnell welcomed him to the board with this interview.

If you or a student you know are interested in serving on the board in the future, read on un- til the end for more information. Becky and Angela: When did you join BSA and what motivated you to do so? James McDaniel: In the summer of 2011, I joined the Botanical Society of America as an undergraduate at Lynchburg College (Lynch- By Becky Povilus and James McDaniel burg, Virginia). As a recipient of the PLANTS BSA Student Representatives grant, BSA provided me with the opportunity to attend the National Botany Conference (St. 159 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Student Section Louis, Missouri) as an undergraduate mentee. research is focused on the evolutionary histo- Graciously, BSA also provided me (along with ry of this group as well as learning more about the other undergraduate mentees) with a ve- the fast-action snap trap and how it varies year membership to the society as a PLANTS among species in the genus. grant recipient. Why did you choose to attend graduate school What motivated you to run for the position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison? of Student Representative to the Board of Directors? I chose to attend graduate school at the UW-Madison for multiple reasons. UW-Mad- I was motived to run for the position of Stu- ison is one of the few schools le in the United dent Representative to the Board of Directors States that still has an actual Botany depart- by many of the past Student Representatives ment, which was extremely important to me. who were actively involved during their ten- Also, as an undergraduate, I realized that I ure. At rst, I was hesitant to run for the po- wanted to pursue a career in orchid systemat- sition, but then I began to think about the ics, which led me to work with Ken Cameron, possible inuence I could have as a student who is one of the world’s leading experts in the on decision making regarding the future of eld of orchid systematics. Lastly, I knew that BSA as well as botany. When I started think- the sheer abundance of resources available for ing about all of these scenarios, I knew that I scientists at UW-Madison would make my life had to run for the position with the hope that easier as a graduate student because I would I would have a chance to make an impact— not have to rely on companies outside of whether big or small. UW-Madison to utilize modern technology. What is your favorite thing about BSA so far? What sorts of experiences have you had that helped to guide you to the path of your cur- My favorite thing about BSA has and always rent research interests? will be its push for diversity in the biological sciences (speci cally botany). Although there As an undergraduate, I had many experiences has been a glaring discrepancy in terms of that helped guide me to becoming a graduate gender, race, and ethnicity in the biological student in botany. In particular, my under- sciences, BSA as well as other botanical societ- graduate advisor at Lynchburg College, Nancy ies have taken a strong stance towards shrink- Cowden, helped pave the way for my success ing the gap. by taking me on eld excursions to collect o- ral fragrance from orchids as well as roses. At What is your research about? rst, I was hesitant because I did not have any I study a group of Neotropical orchids from desire to venture out into the eld, but I quick- the genus Porroglossum. Porroglossum is com- ly fell in love with the outdoors, plants, and posed of 53 described species, most of them the experimental design that we were utilizing endemic to Ecuador, that are distributed to analyze fragrance. throughout the Andean cloud forests of South What has been the most challenging part of America. ese small plants from the orchid your research? subtribe Pleurothallidinae are remarkable be- cause physical stimulation of the ower’s la- As a graduate student, I have been very for- bellum (lip) causes it to actively snap inward, tunate because I started my journey during thrusting pollinators against the column. My a time period where technology and instru- 160 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Student Section ments for scienti c studies are rapidly im- proving everyday. However, this has also Connect with BSA, become come at a price because many of the programs a student rep! that I utilize to process data require extensive knowledge about programming languages. By If you are interested in nominating a student far, the most challenging part of my research to become the next student representative, or has been learning these languages. if you’re a student interested in serving on the Board, be sure to look out for the call for nom- What has been the most rewarding part of inations in your email from BSA each spring. your research? It’s a great opportunity to learn about the soci- ety and to gain a variety of experiences. Duties e most rewarding part of my research ex- for the position typically include organizing perience has been traveling internationally. student-oriented events at the annual meeting, In the summer of 2014 and 2015, I was able writing articles for the Plant Science Bulletin, to travel to the orchid nursery Ecuagenera and attending two yearly board meetings, one (Gualaceo, Ecuador) and conduct research of which happens at the annual meeting. If in their greenhouses. While I was there, I was you have any questions about the position, also given the opportunity to participate in feel free to contact the student representa- eld excursions, including a trip to the Pára- tives—Becky Povilus at [email protected]. mo in the Andes where we were able to nd edu and James McDaniel at jlmcdaniel@wisc. extremely rare orchids and bring them back to edu—any time. We’re always open to hearing Ecuagenera for cultivation. your ideas or answering questions! You can Is there anything you know now about being also connect with us on our Facebook group a graduate student that you wish you would page by searching for Students of the Botani- have known as an undergraduate student? cal Society of America. As an undergraduate student, I wish I had known about the tremendous amount of Quick notes on the stress that comes with being a graduate stu- dent. More importantly, I wish I had known Botany 2016 conference that this stress is oen alleviated when re- We also would like to extend a “thanks!” to search projects come together. Ultimately, if I everyone who attended the annual Botany had another chance, I would have found bet- 2016 meeting in Savannah, Georgia. From the ter ways to manage the stress that comes with student side of things, it was lled with great being a graduate student. workshops, mixers, and of course talks (and so many of those were given by students—it is What sorts of hobbies do you have? wonderful to have so much student participa- Although I have many hobbies, I will only tion at the conferences!). name a few to keep this brief. For starters, I en- is year was our largest “Careers in Botany” joy hiking/walking with my Shiba Inu named Student Luncheon yet! We had a truly ex- Nugget. Also, I have a healthy addiction to cellent presentation from Dr. Pamela Diggle watching sports (particularly college football about how we can use the skills that we are and the NFL) on the weekends. Lastly, I enjoy learning now, no matter what we end up doing learning new information whether it is related with our degrees, followed by discussions with to my area of expertise as a botanist or not. 161 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Student Section panelists from a broad range of botanically or ducing ourselves one-on-one. Overall, this scienti cally oriented careers. e panelists was useful skill to learn at the beginning of the really enjoyed talking with the students who conference. attended, and we already have some lined up for the luncheon next year. And of course, we loved getting to meet all of you at the student mixer, at the Moon-River We also had a wonderfully useful workshop Brewing Company. We are look forward to on “elevator speeches”—how to introduce seeing you all again, or getting to meet you for yourself and your science. Aer hearing Dr. the rst time, at next Botany meeting in 2017 Doug Soltis present his invaluable thoughts in Fort Worth, Texas, June 24-28! and experiences on getting people interested in what you do, we all got to practice intro-

FROM THE PSB ARCHIVES 60 years ago: “A signi cant fact about our meetings this year is that the problems of teaching have such an important place on the program. Not only the AIBS but the AAAS, the NAS, the NRC, the NSF and various other alphabetical agencies are now concerning themselves with the problems of science teaching. is matter has lately assumed national importance because of the growing de cit of men and women trained in the sciences.

"As botanists we are particularly interested in the teaching of our own science, and our concern with it is shown by the establishment of a section in our society to serve as a center for the discussion of teaching problems. Fiy years ago such concern was much less evident. Botany had only recently become a science in the modern sense, and botanists devoted their meetings almost wholly to reports of research. Formal recognition of teaching problems was rare. Many of the best botanists of early days, however, such as Asa Gray, C. E. Bessey, W. J. Beal and L. H. Bailey were good teachers and gave much attention to their students.”

- Sinnott, Edmund W. Fiy Years of Botanical Teaching. PSB 2(4): 3-4

50 years ago: “As scientists we have the obligation to extend our enquiries beyond our own little bai- liwick, even if at a more super cial level. We must train ourselves to think beyond the DNA molecule, the chloroplast, the species, in relating plants to the past, to the present welfare of man, and to our hopes for the future. In addition, it is incumbent upon us to teach not only our students, but also our fellow-citizens and our politicians of these relationships.”

- Sharp, A. J. e Botanist as Scientist and Citizen. PSB 12(4): 1-3.

162 ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Book Announcement from CABI: “Plant Biodiversity: Monitor- ing, Assessment and Conservation” Plants are important components to the eco- system. ey are the base of the food chain and play a signi cant role in energy ow and biogeochemical cycling of nutrients between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. ey must constantly ght against the environmen- tal modi cations, however, that threaten to cause global species extinction and habitat destruction. A new multidisciplinary science has evolved to deal with the crises confront- ing biological diversity. It has two goals: rst, Harvard University Bullard to investigate human impacts on biological Fellowships in diversity and second, to develop practical ap- proaches to prevent extinction of species. Forest Research Harvard University annually awards a limited is new book, “Plant Biodiversity: Monitor- number of Bullard Fellowships to individuals ing, Assessment and Conservation,” set for a in biological, social, physical, and political sci- November 2016 release, is a practical update ences and the arts to promote advanced study on our knowledge on monitoring, assess- or the integration of subjects pertaining to for- ment and conservation of plant biodiversity ested ecosystems. e program seeks to allow in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and re- mid-career individuals to develop their own lated elds. It includes a general overview of scienti c and professional growth by utilizing plant biodiversity and investigates a wealth the resources and interacting with personnel of factors aecting and hindering plant bio- in any department within Harvard University. diversity before exploring in depth methods In recent years Bullard Fellows have been as- of monitoring, assessing, and conserving our sociated with the Harvard Forest, Department plant species. Globally relevant, this book is of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and a valuable resource for all researchers, pro- the J. F. Kennedy School of Government and fessionals and students of botany and plant have worked in areas of ecology, forest man- biodiversity studies. For more informa- agement, policy, and conservation. Stipends tion, go to http://www.cabi.org/bookshop/ up to $60,000 are available for periods rang- book/9781780646947. 163 PSB 62 (3) 2016 ing from six months to one year and are not itus, Kiger will continue his research projects intended for travel, graduate students, or re- and his work with the Flora of North America cent post-doctoral candidates. Applications project, where he serves as a member of the from international scientists, women, and mi- Editorial Committee, the bibliographic editor, norities are encouraged. Additional informa- and a taxonomic editor. tion is available on the Harvard Forest website (http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu). Annu- T. D. Jacobsen received his B.S. in biology al deadline for applications is February 1. from the College of Idaho and his M.S. and Ph.D. in systematic botany from Washington State University. He joined the Hunt Institute sta in 1979 and has been assistant director Hunt Institute Director and principal research scientist since 1980. Robert W. Kiger Retires, His main research interests include vascular taxonomy, especially of Allium (onion, Lil- T. D. Jacobsen Becomes iaceae) in North America, and toxic plants Director and fungi. For the FNA project, he and Dale McNeal, a colleague at the University of the Pittsburgh, PA—Aer directing the Hunt In- Paci c, prepared the treatment of Allium (on- stitute for 39 years, Robert W. Kiger has re- ions and their relatives), the native species of tired. Eective 1 July, 2016, Assistant Direc- which are widely distributed throughout the tor T. D. Jacobsen became the fourth director continent; there are approximately 90 species since the Institute was dedicated in 1961 un- and varieties in the ora area. Additionally, der the leadership of George H. M. Lawrence Jacobsen prepared the treatment for Notho- (1910–1978; founding director, 1960–1970). scordum (relative of onions, Liliaceae). An application for online identi cation of more Robert W. Kiger received his B.A. in Spanish than 325 native and exotic gen- from Tulane University and his M.A. in his- era found in North America was developed by tory of science and Ph.D. in systematic bot- Jacobsen, Kiger, F. H. Utech, D. M. Kiger, and any from the University of Maryland. Prior E. R. Smith in conjunction with the Pittsburgh to joining the Institute as assistant director in Poison Center. To aid identi cation, they pro- 1974, he was research botanist and associate duced a directory that contained represen- editor with the original Flora North America tative illustrations of all the genera found in Program in the Department of Botany at the the program. Jacobsen collaborated with Dr. Smithsonian Institution. He became director Edward P. Krenzelok, who was director of the and principal research scientist at the Hunt Pittsburgh Poison Center, in the systematic Institute in 1977, succeeding Gilbert S. Dan- investigation of pediatric plant poisoning. e iels (assistant director, 1967–1970; director, project involved the statistical analysis of the 1970–1977). Kiger’s main research interests clinical data on plant poisonings recorded by include: vascular plant taxonomy, especially the American Association of Poison Control of Flacourtiaceae, Talinum (fameowers, Por- Centers Toxic Exposure Surveillance System tulacaceae), and Papaver (poppies, Papavera- (AAPCC TESS). ceae); oristics, especially of North America; evolutionary theory in relation to systematic principles and practice; botanical bibliogra- About the Institute phy; and morphological terminology. As di- e Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, a rector and principal research scientist, emer- research division of Carnegie Mellon University, spe- 164 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Announcements cializes in the history of botany and all aspects of plant ratory samples include uid-preserved, dried science and serves the international scienti c commu- nity through research and documentation. To this end, wood, tissues preserved to extract DNA, ge- the Institute acquires and maintains authoritative col- nomic DNA, seeds for identi cation, leaf lections of books, plant images, manuscripts, portraits clearings, and microscope slide and other and data les, and provides publications and other preparations. modes of information service. e Institute meets the reference needs of botanists, biologists, historians, con- Funded by NSF (CSBR: 1203278), the project servationists, librarians, bibliographers and the public databased and imaged all CHRB specimens at large, especially those concerned with any aspect of of Ericaceae and those at NYBG that voucher the North American ora. laboratory collections. Other Laboratory col- lections were databased, and some (e.g., leaf The New York Botanical clearings) were imaged. e uid-preserved samples were transferred to glass jars with Garden and the Chrysler polyethylene foam-lined lids and organized Herbarium Provide into a single taxonomic sequence in plastic boxes for ecient storage. e Mertz Library Resources for Research and living collections at NYBG, and Rutgers’s on Ericaceae Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and e New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) and Cranberry Research complement these inte- the Chrysler Herbarium (CHRB) of Rutgers, grated resources. A web portal will soon be the State University of New Jersey, announced available (http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ the completion of a project that integrates projects/ericaceae) for use as a research tool their recourses for biodiversity research on and to search the collections, herbarium spec- Ericaceae. e NYBG has a long history of imen and laboratory sample images, live plant systematic research on Ericaceae and Rutgers images, taxonomy and distributions of taxa has long-term oristic and ecological investi- of Ericaceae, species descriptions from Flora gations in the region, where the family is an Neotropica digitized for the World Flora On- important component of the Pine Barrens. line project, and NYBG’s living collection of Resources include herbarium specimens from the family. NYBG and CHRB, specimen and live plant For information contact: Dr. Lisa M. Camp- images, and laboratory samples and prepara- bell ([email protected]) or Dr. tions housed at NYBG. A large number of the Lena Struwe ([email protected]). latter were donated by Barbara Palser when she retired from Rutgers aer a long career investigating plant anatomy, especially of Er- icaceae. (Palser is well known to many in the Botanical Society of America and served as its president [1976].) e samples she amassed, collected from throughout the world in col- laboration with 100 collaborators, augment the neotropical emphasis of those made by NYBG researchers and students, particularly James L. Luteyn, Bassett Maguire, Paola Pe- draza-Peñalosa, and Nelson R. Salinas. Labo- 165 PSB 62 (3) 2016

In Memoriam sis dealt with a problem in corn genetics. On Alfred Traverse graduation Traverse won a fellowship to study (1915-2015) in England, and spent 1946-47 at Kings Col- lege Cambridge, studying palaeobotany in With the death of Professor Al Traverse on the Cambridge Botany School. He returned September 15, 2015, the science of palynol- to Harvard in 1947 with an Anna C. Ames ogy lost what many of us would regard as scholarship and was awarded a Master’s in the single most productive and inuential of palaeobotany in 1948. en coming under contemporary workers in this eld. e top- the inuence of his supervisor Elso Barghoo- ics of his 200+ research papers range from rn, he embarked on palynological research in acritarchs of the Pre-Cambrian to angiosperm the Tertiary Brandon Lignite of Vermont, on pollen from the Tertiary, together with papers which he published a very seminal paper in dealing with process and ecology in palae- 1951. In that same year he married Betty Ins- opalynology, with problems of nomenclature, ley (a Harvard Botany graduate) and was hired and a range of other papers relating to broad- by the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) to work er issues of plant evolution. Undoubtedly his on the Tertiary lignite in Grand Forks, North most important publication was his great Dakota. During his period in North Dakota book, Paleopalynology, of which the second he stopped by in the autumn of 1953 at Ann edition was published eight years ago. As he Arbor, Michigan, to meet Chester Arnold, one said himself, “It oered most of the informa- of the leading palaeobotanists of that time. I tion necessary to teach a good course in paly- was working with Arnold on Carboniferous nology, and as a handy, one-volume reference megaspores, and the three of us went out on a to palynological subjects.” is 600-page book collecting trip to a very productive Pennsylva- formed the core of a course that he ran from nian quarry near Ann Arbor. Our meeting on 1966 until the year aer he retired, and un- that occasion started a friendship with Al that doubtedly played a similar role in the hands lasted some 60 years. of many other teachers of palaeopalynology in universities in other parts of the world. In 1955 the USBM transferred Al to Denver to head the coal microscopy lab, but very shortly Alfred Traverse was born on September 7 in aer that he accepted an oer from Shell to set Prince Edward Island, Canada, son of an An- up a palynology lab in Houston, Texas. is glican priest, the Rev. Freeman Traverse, and led to his travelling to Shell’s headquarters in Pearle Traverse, dietician and school-teacher. e Hague, Netherlands, where he spent four In 1928 the family moved to Allegan, Mich- months studying their palynological tech- igan, and later Al became a naturalized U.S. niques. On his return, Al and his family set- citizen. He went to public schools in St. Jo- tled in Houston where he held that position seph, Michigan, graduating from high school until 1962. His research with Shell included in 1943 as valedictorian of his class. He was the study of the palynology in the present-day awarded a freshman scholarship at Harvard, sedimentation o the Gulf Coast. But in 1962 where he majored in biology and graduated he resigned from Shell and enrolled in the magna cum laude in 1946. His honours the- 166 PSB 62 (3) 2016

Episcopal eological Seminary in Austin, During his time in Zurich he had his last for- Texas (to the more-than-slight surprise of con- mal connection with the Episcopal Church, temporary palynologists!). He was awarded a serving as assistant priest in a parish of the Master of Divinity in 1965 and was ordained Old Catholic Church (which had close alia- deacon in the Episcopal Church, which he tion with the Anglican Church). For on their combined with acting as Visiting Lecturer in return to Penn State, he came to feel that he Geology in the University of Texas. might be better categorised as a humanist, but without rejecting his religious past. Nonethe- But in 1966 Al returned to academic palynol- less, he continued to serve in a religious role at ogy, accepting the position of Associate Pro- a number of minor local functions. He ran his fessor of Geology in Penn State University, course in palynology in Penn State from 1966 and in 1970 became Professor of Palynology. until 1996. In the previous year he had been Concurrently, he held positions as priest and made Professor Emeritus, a position he held vicar in several Episcopal churches in Pennsyl- for the remainder of his life. vania. One of the more memorable episodes in his time at Penn State was in being invited Al and Betty had four children; the rst two, to serve as on-board scientist on the Deep Sea John and Celia, were born in Houston, Tex- Drilling Project’s Glomar Challenger expedi- as during Al’s phase with Shell, with Paul and tion to the Black Sea in 1975. Later in his life Martha following later. Two of these four he always enjoyed conjuring up some of the made successful careers in the medical world. results of that expedition to support his argu- At the time of Al’s death, he and Betty had sev- ment in whatever controversy he was engaged en grandchildren, one great-grandchild, two in. One of the results of that expedition for Al step-grandchildren and two step-great-grand- was the contact that he made with Prof. K.J. children. ough somewhat dispersed, they Hsii, who had been its chief scientist, for an had many occasions when a large part of this invitation to be Visiting Professor at the Swiss family was able to get together! Federal Technical Institute in Zurich 1980-81 ensued, and he and Betty spent a year’s sab- Al’s contribution to palynology went far be- batical there. Some ten years later, Al and yond his research and his publications. He Betty returned to Europe when he took up a was an enthusiastic and very active member Senior Fulbright Research Professorship at of the several national and international or- the Senckenberg Natural History Museum, ganisations associated with the growth of pa- Frankfurt. During his time at Penn State Al laeopalynology over the last 50 years. Most also played an important role in the (joint) particularly he was a founding member of publication of the Catalogue of Fossil Spores the American Association of Stratigraph- and Pollen, which was published out of Spack- ic Palynology (now the Palynological Soci- man’s department. Gustav Kremp had played ety) of which he was Secretary-Treasurer in a key role in getting that catalogue underway the 1960s and President in the 1970s. Later, together with Tate Ames, when he rst joined he was awarded the Medal for Excellence in Penn State, and Al joined that team to publish Education of that body, and for a time was with them, and subsequently with Spackman their archivist. He was Secretary-Treasurer and with Ames alone (see the full list of parts and (twice) Chairman of the Palaeobotani- of the Catalogue in the AASP list of Traverse’s cal Section of the BSA. On the international publications). stage, he was for many years Secretary of the International Association for Plant Taxono- 167 PSB 62 (3) 2016 my’s (IAPT) Committee for Fossil Plants. He Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and was also a Fellow of the Geological Society of plants (previously the International Code of America, and a member of many other scien- Botanical Nomenclature [ICBN]), following ti c societies. the Melbourne International Botanical Con- gress of July 2011. Writing as a member of Al was always very open about changing his the Fossil Plant Committee, commenting on mind—a process he was driven to several the proposal that led to its removal, he wrote, times in his life-long involvement with fos- “e elimination of morphotaxon… seems to sil plant nomenclature and taxonomy. As a me questionable. At least, the subject needs member of the IAPT Fossil Plant Committee more thinking about various rami cations. for many years, Al always enjoyed debating Let’s take paleopalynology as an example. the oenconvoluted issues associated with Aquilapollenites is a generic name for a kind fossil plant nomenclature—both verbally at of (mostly) Cretaceous angiosperm pollen Congresses, and in a number of publications. grains. In no way could such a generic name (and there are several thousand of them) be One of the several areas of nomenclatural applied to anything other than dispersed pol- controversy to which Al made a signi cant len grains. If they are found in the anthers of a contribution was the use of modern generic megafossil ower, called say Stupidoora, they names for Tertiary angiosperm pollen. is would be the ‘pollen of Stupidoora’ with a arose at an early stage in his career from his note that the pollen, if found dispersed, would attributing several of the pollen types in the be Aquilapollenites. e latter is a morphotax- Brandon lignite (Traverse, 1955), such his on name by de nition of the ICBN and could Nyssa, to extant genera. But as he wrote many not become the name of a ower or of a plant” years later (Traverse, 2008), “For years I felt (email Sept. 20, 2010). But despite Al’s plea, that where the generic reference is absolutely the term morphotaxon has vanished from the clear there is no reason at all to avoid the ex- present Code. tant generic name. However, aer decades of thinking about the matter, I have now changed Some of Al’s contemporaries have suggested my mind, and now feel that pre-Pleistocene that he took life too seriously and was lacking palynomorphs should be referred to morpho- in a well-tuned sense of humour. I never felt taxa (morphogenera, morphospecies) such this, but rather that we were tuned to the same as Nyssapollenites, not Nyssa, even though, wavelength. Once while we were driving to a for example, association with other organs Silurian palynological collecting site in Penn- makes it clear that Nyssa pollen in the Bran- sylvania, he needed some guidance on nding don Lignite described by me (Traverse, 1955) the location. He cheerfully reached for a road was produced by plants that probably were map in the back of the car (in those happy, congeneric with the extant genus Nyssa.” So pre-Sat Nav days) and slung it across his lap although he withdrew from his original stand, below the steering wheel, and began to peruse he characteristically showed that he really felt the map while driving, occasionally glancing that the basis for it had been perfectly valid! up at the road trac. Aer some minutes of this, and several near misses, I snatched the Another related debate that he enjoyed in- map from his lap and said, “I’ll read the map, volved the term morphotaxon. at desig- you drive!” nation, applicable to fossil taxa in the Vien- na Code, was taken out of the International 168 PSB 62 (3) 2016

He took this in good humour, and roared with for teaching and research in what had been laughter, explaining that he oen did this, and the “Farmers High School” and renamed by also “on open interstates with little trac I Pugh, “Pennsylvania College of Agriculture.” also peel oranges and bananas while simulta- Pugh added the specimens of his own her- neously studying language cards.” He added barium—of some 5000 items—to the collec- that Betty’s reaction to the map-reading had tion. In the retirement years that he devoted been similar to mine, but she had never actu- to rearranging and updating that herbarium, ally snatched the map away. and incorporating his and other material into the original collection, the number of speci- A more recent illustration of his cheery accep- mens rose from 95,000 to 107,000. No small tance of the results of surviving into one’s late achievement “in retirement”! 80s is his aside in the course of an email in 2012. “I am now ‘four score and seven years’ -By Prof. William Chaloner as in the Gettysburg address. at made me think of the fact that from Lincoln’s assassi- nation in April 1865 to the birth of our son, Literature Cited Paul, was exactly 87 years—man that is a LONG time and I must be OLD.” He went on e Home Page of the American Association to remark that “since 70 years ago I have been of Stratigraphic Palynologists gives access to a a skilled touch typist—no more. I hit 30% “Biographical Sketch” of Dr. Alfred Traverse, wrong keys. I am doing this with one nger.” and lists all of his major accomplishments and publications. is source has been used freely Despite his international standing as a pa- in compiling this brief obituary. laeopalynologist, Al was always at heart a Anonymous. 2015. Alfred Traverse: Obituary. botanist, and one who enjoyed “country life.” Centre Daily Times, Sept. 20, 2015, State Col- When he and Betty acquired their rural estate lege, Pennsylvania. outside Penn State, he named it the “Alphabet Arboretum,” with good cause, as it was wood- Traverse, A. 1955. Pollen analysis of the Brandon ed land of some diversity of content. But of Lignite of Vermont. U.S. Bureau of Mines Report course the label appealed to him in combining of Investigations 5151: 108 pp. his and Betty’s names—a point he always liked Traverse, A. 2007. Paleopalynology (ed 2). to make! Although his work gave him little Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, xviii + 813 time for it, he greatly enjoyed the rural activi- pp. ties such as felling timber and cutting logs for fuel. But his real commitment as a botanist came when, aer his formal retirement, he took on the assignment of Voluntary Cura- tor of the Penn State University’s Herbarium, from 2007 until 2015. is had great histor- ical signi cance for the University, as it was initiated by its rst President, Dr. Evan Pugh, who acquired much of the original material in , where he was living in Gottingen and elsewhere at the time. Signi cantly, Pugh believed the herbarium was an important base 169 PSB 62 (3) 2016

Don received tenure and spent the remainder of his career at BYU. is university is known for its traditional Mormon religious roots, but Don explained to me that the church position on evolution was one of endorsing the need to investigate thoroughly all lines of evidence. He interpreted this as a directive to expand our knowledge of plant evolution. Don trav- eled extensively collecting fossil plants and named many new taxa. He enjoyed taking his students and his children on eld trips, exploring, and collecting fossil plants all over the western United States, oen driving and

Millay Michael to credit Photo overnighting in his camper truck tted with on-board kitchen and sleeping quarters. He was a regular participant in Botanical Society William D. Tidwell of America and International Organization of Paleobotany meetings and eld trips, known (1932-2015) for his friendly demeanor and unique sense of humor. He served as Chair of the Paleobotan- William D. Tidwell died in September, 2015. ical Section of the BSA in 1983. Known to friends and colleagues as Don, I rst became aware of Dr. Tidwell through he contributed to paleobotany through his his popular book, “Common Fossil Plants of teaching, research, and popular writing. He Western North America,” which I received was born in June 1932 to John Leslie Tidwell as a birthday gi from my parents. e book and Ida Geraldine Carson Tidwell in Nampa, made an impression on me as I began study- Idaho. He served in the U.S. Army during the ing fossil plants found in my home state of Or- Korean conict at Fort Ord, California. His egon and was curious how to identify them. love of nature was evident early in his career Don’s book— rst published by BYU Press in while he served in the National Park Service 1975, then revised and published in a second as ranger/naturalist at Yosemite, Olympic Na- edition by Smithsonian Press in 1998—was an tional Park, Lake Mead National Recreation excellent guide for amateurs and budding pa- Area, and Blue Ridge Parkway. leobotanists like me. e book found its way Don received his MS degree from Brigham to many public libraries as well as university Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah holdings, and it has had the positive eect of (1962), and earned his PhD in Geology ad- encouraging interaction between hobbyists, vised by Aureal Cross at Michigan State Uni- who are actively collecting petri ed wood and versity (1966). He helped to establish their other fossil plants, and the academic commu- Department of Geology at Eastern Wash- nity. Don recognized the importance of am- ington State College, Cheney. Soon aer, he ateur contributions to paleontology through joined the faculty of the Botany Department discovery of new localities and recovery of at Brigham Young University in 1967. specimens that might otherwise be lost to sci- ence. 170 PSB 62 (3) 2016

I rst had the opportunity to meet Dr. Tidwell during the Botanical Society of America con- ference in Corvallis, Oregon (1976), where I was an undergraduate at Oregon State Uni- versity. Following that meeting, he endorsed and occasionally participated in the instruc- tional program for the high school students that I directed for the Oregon Museum of Sci- ence and Industry during several successive summers. He joined us in local eld work and provided basic instruction in botany and pa- leobotany to students in the eld program lo- cated at Hancock Field Station near the down of Fossil, Oregon. Don’s paleobotanical research contributions Sylvia “Tass” Kelso ranged through the geologic column with (1953-2016) many contributions on Carboniferous, Me- Sylvia “Tass” Kelso, Professor Emeritus at Col- sozoic and Cenozoic oras. He especially en- orado College, passed away on June 8, 2016 joyed working on anatomically preserved fern aer an 18-month struggle with pancreatic stems (particularly Tempskya and Osmunda- cancer. ceae), conifers, and angiosperm woods as well as the study of various impression and com- She was born on May 1, 1953 (May Day) and pression fossil leaf assemblages. grew up in Duxbury, Massachusetts, where she spent her childhood years exploring the Don retired in 2000 and continued his re- woods behind their house and the tidal pools search with emeritus recognition. Lisa Bouch- of Duxbury Bay. is is where her fascination er and I had the pleasure of working together in nature began. with him to prepare a eld guide and lead a paleobotanical eld trip in Utah and Colo- She entered Smith College in Northampton, rado associated with the Botanical Society of Massachusetts, in 1971, and nished her un- America meeting, in Snowbird, Utah (2004). dergraduate studies in 1974 from Dartmouth Don guided us to some fascinating places and College in Hanover, New Hampshire, with a hosted us at his laboratory to have a look at major in Geography and a minor in Biology, numerous specimens gathered during his ca- graduating Magna Cum Laude. Continuing reer. When the Botany Department at BYU from there she earned a master’s degree in Ge- was abolished in 2003, Don’s extensive collec- ography at the University of Colorado, Boul- tions were moved to the Paleontological Mu- der, in 1980, while working as Herbarium As- seum of the Department of Geological Sci- sistant in the university’s museum. She earned ences, BYU, where they remain an important a PhD in 1987 in Biology at the University of part of the holdings today. Alaska in Fairbanks, while working as a teach- ing assistant in the Biology Department and -By Steve Manchester Research Assistant with the Bureau of Land Management.

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Wherever she lived—be it New England, Alas- ternary environments on plant distributions, ka, or Colorado—her keen interest in botany plant reproductive biology, and the continu- resulted in acquiring a detailed knowledge of ing importance of oristic exploration. Her local ora. cherished research on Primulaceae has result- ed in most of her contributions, culminating Since 1987 she was a member of the faculty most recently in treatments of Primula, An- at Colorado College, teaching courses in bot- drosace, and Douglasia in volume 8 of Flora of any, conservation, and evolutionary biology, North America and Dodecatheon and Primula among others, and was Curator of the Carter in the revision of the Jepson Manual of the o- Herbarium (COCO). She was dedicated to ra of California. sharing her enthusiasm and teaching about plants with students and with the public. Her On June 29, 1996, she married George Maentz, promotions were timely, reaching full Profes- who had been and continued to be collabora- sor, not to mention serving a term as Chair of tor with her on some of her local projects. the Biology Department. On a personal note, I rst met Tass in the Awards and honors include the Colorado Col- mid- or late-1980s when she visited the New lege Burlington Northern Award for Faculty York Botanical Garden. She came to examine Achievement in Teaching (1992); the John D. the herbarium’s holdings of Primula, and she and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor at Col- used the opportunity to meet me, since I had orado College (1992-1994); and the Verner Z. published a couple of new Primula discoveries Reed Professor of Natural Sciences endowed from Nevada. We didn’t meet again until April position (2004-2007). Tass’ was also recog- 4, 1991, when per chance we found ourselves nized as Outstanding Volunteer by the Colo- in the College of Idaho herbarium, Caldwell, rado Natural Heritage Program. Idaho, both there for the same purpose: to see and collect the early blooming Primu- She served on many important faculty com- la cusickiana. At that time I was working on mittees, some as chairman. She was a member the Primulaceae for Intermountain Flora. e of the Board of Trustees of the Palmer Foun- next morning we were treated to a guided dation (1994-2000); the Palmer Land Trust, eld trip to Freezeout Hill and to a slope along Advisor (2004-present); the Nature Conser- the Bogus Basin Road led by a contingent of vancy, Colorado Science Advisory commit- Idaho botanists familiar with these Primu- tee; Education Coordinating Committee of la localities. Tass and I became good friends the National Ecological Observatory Network from that time on, getting together whenever (NEON); and the Colorado Native Plant Soci- an opportunity would arise, such as at annual ety Field Trip and Workshop leader. meetings of the Botanical Society of America, Tass’s botanical specialties included the sys- at their home in Colorado Springs, and in the tematics and reproductive biology of the eld. Pat and I joined Tass and George twice Primulaceae, on which she authored numer- in the eld in Nevada to search for Primula ous papers. She also studied and published capillaris in the Ruby Mountains (2002) and P. papers on the arctic and alpine ora and its nevadensis in the Schell Creek Range (2007). phytogeography, the oras of southeastern It was fun to be with the two of them in the Colorado and the Pikes Peak region, edaphic eld, sharing a love of plants and landscape endemism, , the inuence of Qua- and botanical knowledge. 172 PSB 62 (3) 2016

I asked George where the nickname “Tass” reached out, touched her hand, and breathed came from. His reply: “From the time of her his last breath. He did not suer, but died in hair’s appearance as a toddler through late peace aer hiking in his beloved mountains. childhood, Tass had a head full of bright He was oen referred to as a “true Southern blond hair that looked to her parents (or per- gentleman.” haps grandparents) like corn tassels. Her fam- ily called her ‘Tassel’ from the onset, which Dr. Herr was Distinguished Professor Emeritus shortened to ‘Tass’ in school and ever since. in the Department of Biological Sciences at She was named ‘Sylvia’ aer a close friend of the University of South Carolina (USC). He her mother, but never used the name except graduated from the University of Virginia in ocial context.” George adds, “I could eas- with BA and MA degrees, from the University ily sort and usually declined phone calls for of North Carolina with a PhD in botany, ‘Sylvia,’ knowing that the person seeking her and served a post-doctoral appointment at attention was a total stranger dialing from a the University of Delhi, India on a Fulbright marketing list.” Fellowship (1957-58). He was also a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London (1988). During his 34 years of service at USC, before retiring in 1993, Dr. Herr taught courses in botany and performed notable research in owering plant embryology, culminating in theoretical papers on the evolutionary origin of seeds and . His inventions included tissue processing and microscopy techniques now utilized worldwide. For the 23 years following retirement, he contributed his wisdom to the university and multiple students and researchers. His oce and lab were never silent. He served on many committees, authored guidelines for organizing the USC Faculty Senate, chaired the faculty senate, and served as President of the omas Cooper Society. Photo credit to Susan B. Farmer B. Susan to credit Photo He held memberships in several scienti c as- sociations such as the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society, which awarded him the John Melvin Herr, Jr. Elizabeth Ann Bartholomew Award in 1996. (1931-2016) He led workshops and seminars all over the world and supervised numerous disserta- Dr. John M. Herr, Jr., 85, of Columbia, SC, tions. Dr. Herr’s major professional aliation passed away on June 19, 2016 in Belford, VA. was with the Association of Southeastern Aer a hike in the beautiful sunshine at e Biologists (ASB) where he was the Archivist Peaks of Otter o the Blue Ridge Parkway, for many years and served on the Executive he sat resting with his wife, Lucrecia. He

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Committee (1973), and served as Vice Presi- Dr. Herr, a native of Charlottesville, VA, is dent (1974) and President (1976). He was the survived by his wife, Lucrecia Linder Herr, for author of the constitution and bylaws of the whom the Lucrecia Herr Outstanding Biology Association and was instrumental in design- Teacher Award is named; his sister, Dr. Nan- ing the ASB logo that we use today. ASB pre- cy Herr Fallen; his daughters and their hus- sented him the Meritorious Teaching Award bands: Susan Rebecca (John) Fallen; Rachel (1989) and the Senior Research Award (1998). Lynn (Michael) Leach; his stepson and his Only six ASB members have received the Mer- wife, Frederick Brent (Mary Grace) Wahl; his itorious Teaching Award, the Senior Research niece, Margaret Fallen; and six grandchildren. Award, and have served as President. He was A private family service will be followed by a awarded the inaugural “John Herr Lifetime celebration of his life at a future date. Achievement Award” (2007). In presenting the Herr Award, the Association noted: “He ose wishing to make a contribution in is perspicacious, sagacious, and mighty ne!” memory of Dr. Herr are asked to consider e Dr. Herr helped the Association to weather John and Lucrecia Herr Composition Award, some very dicult times. University of South Carolina School of Mu- sic, 813 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29208 In 2005, Dr. Herr decided to give a unique gi and/or the Association of Southeastern Bi- to the university. He set about composing a ologists; C/O Dr. Edgar B. Lickey, Treasurer; speci c tune for Carolina’s alma mater, “We Department of Biology; Bridgewater College; Hail ee, Carolina,” which has traditionally 402 East College Street, Box 125; Bridgewater, been sung to the tune of “Flow Gently, Sweet VA 22812. Aon.” e new tune was performed by the USC Concert Choir in 2009, but has not (at -is obituary was prepared by Lucrecia Herr, least, yet) been accepted as the ocial tune Columbia, SC; Dr. J. Kenneth Shull, Appala- for the alma mater. e experience of having chian State University, Boone, NC; and Dr. his tune brought to life helped build a deeper James D. Caponetti, University of Tennessee, relationship between Dr. Herr and the School Knoxville, TN. e text has been reprinted with of Music. With funds contributed by Dr. Herr permission from Southeastern Biology 63(3): and his wife, the School of Music established 489-490. the annual John and Lucrecia Herr Composi- tion Award, open to all music students.

174 BOOK REVIEWS

Ecology What Should a Clever Moose Eat?: ...... 175 Quiver Trees, Phantom Orchids & Rock Splitters: The Remarkable Survival Strategies of Plants ...... 176 Economic Botany Seeds: A Natural History...... 178 CITES and : A User’s Guide ...... 179 Physiological Plant Sensing and Communication ...... 181 Systematics Flora of Florida, Vol. II and Vol. III ...... 183v

Part I of the book emphasizes the importance ECOLOGY of beavers as landscape engineers and their What Should a Clever role in European trade and exploration Moose Eat?: Natural throughout this region. is also plays into History, Ecology, and the later sections on forest formation and the North Woods tremendous inuence of a keystone species. John Pastor e book could have even garnered its 2016. namesake from the beaver as it is the focus of ISBN-13: 978-161091-677-6 several chapters. Paperback, US$30.00. 336 pp. Island Press, Washington, DC, e essays in Part II, which cover leaf USA formation and their eventual demise, are excellent and would nd a good home in What Should a Clever Moose Eat? is an inter- any botany course. ey explain this process esting and informative read from start to n- and the evolutionary costs and bene ts of ish, covering species assemblages and bioge- the many species observed in the North ography of the North Woods, which includes Woods throughout the ecological spectrum, the Great Lakes region into New England. e from disturbance to climax community. e essays and observations are grouped into ve physiology of the process and how it relates to parts, including several chapters within each when a tree sheds its leaves are things I have part that link natural history traits among or- never considered in my quest to identify the ganisms to pull it all together. While much is tree they came from. e sizes and shapes of known, the author postulates on questions leaves in relation to where they are found in a that are still unanswered. canopy ts nicely into the ecosystem puzzle. 175 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Book Reviews

Part III discusses foraging behavior of beavers movements are tied into photoperiod more and moose and how they each use similar than temperature, unlike their prey. e food stocks. We nd out what a clever moose postscript and its observations on color eats and why it focuses on these species as perception dierences between humans and they are the highest quality available. e bees was just one of many potential future discussion of beaver meadows and fungi was research projects skillfully placed throughout fascinating as the conifers do not invade the the text. beaver meadows because they do not retain fungi in the soil aer years of inundation. e notes are helpful for readers who want Plant chemical defenses and their cost to the to learn more about any topic addressed and tree against caterpillars are weighed, along the glossary is a useful alternative to search with warbler trophic levels within a conifer engines. is book would be a great addition forest avoiding competition. to any natural history course or personal library of those interested in learning more Skunk cabbage is one of my favorite signs of about this ecosystem. spring, and Part IV begins with describing how this species tricks blowies into being –David W. MacDougall, CWB® Consulting pollinators. Serviceberry and its early owering Biologist timeframe and fruit production are discussed (https://ca.linkedin.com/in/david-w-macdou- with a focus on the natural selection bene ts gall-cwb%C2%AE-160385a) of starting early. e formation of blueberries takes up a lot of energy but eectively disperses Quiver Trees, Phantom the seeds. Crossbills provide a good example Orchids & Rock Splitters: of coevolution as their bills provide them with The Remarkable Survival access to a mostly untapped conifer seed food Strategies of Plants source until introduced mammals change the Jesse Vernon Trail 2015. ISBN-13: 978-177041-208-8 game. Paperback, US$24.95. 300 pp. ECW Press, Toronto, Ontario, Part V describes the importance of re to Canada maintaining this ecosystem, especially for certain conifers that depend on re to open their cones. is process, known as serotiny, e publisher’s website describes Quiver is seen in other species with seed release tied Trees, Phantom Orchids & Rock Splitters: e to an environmental trigger. e periodic res Remarkable Survival Strategies of Plants as a in the North Woods allow for young trees book that “…showcases exceptional plants to grow in full sun and replenish a stand as with absorbing information and stunning the thick canopy diminishes recruitment by photos that will inspire a new respect for shading out the younger trees. nature’s innovation and resilience.” Many of the photographs can indeed be labeled e epilogue presents disheartening data about stunning, but in information content and in climate change from observations of natural writing itself the book is lacking. e author history in the North Woods. Flowering times attempts to cover so many aspects of botany are coming earlier, as are insect outbreaks, that the end result is a mile wide and an inch which could put more species in jeopardy; one deep. e numerous topics lack the substance example of this is warblers, whose migration needed to attract and hold the reader’s interest. 176 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Book Reviews

At rst glance, this book would seem to lend gure legends for photos only give the species itself as a supplemental text to an introductory name, not the attribute of the plant that the botany class, something to arouse and engage author wants to highlight. Many of the plants student interest in plant biology and plant he describes at length are lacking pictures adaptations. However, the adaptations and (for example, there is a 16-line description of structures that allow plants to survive are Protea cynaroides but no picture), while plants not adequately discussed. e text functions that are only briey mentioned have an image instead more as a listing than an in-depth (for example, Ficus aurea is described in three description of these interesting and unique lines of text but has a full-page image). plants. ere are certainly chapters of the book that oer a more complete description A particularly bothersome aspect of the than others. For example, the “Arctic book is the lack of a bibliography, literature Example” chapter does well in describing cited section, or even chapter notes. All that adaptations and plant survival in harsh arctic is included is a short section containing 56 environments. However, even this chapter “Selected Sources,” but there is no indication could be better organized, and there is much of what material came from these sources. is overlap between this and the following is particularly frustrating when the author chapter, “Alpine Adaptations,” making this makes statements that cannot be veri ed. In section of the book largely redundant. the section on chemistry, the author states that “about 70,000 dierent kinds of chemicals More typical are chapters like “A Firm have been identi ed in plants,” yet there is Footing.” roughout the book, the author no citation or note on this for the reader to almost gives the impression he is narrating verify or pursue further. In another instance, a nature video by using phrases like “Let us the author states that “roots seldom go any take a trip to Australia to observe a few of further than 10 feet into the ground,” but these plants…” or “We have plenty of time so then gives numerous examples throughout let’s travel to further regions of Oceania…”. the text of much deeper roots. is includes In the “Firm Footing” chapter, the author his statement that “during the building of the devotes much more text to these phrases or in Suez Canal in Central America an unspeci ed describing the habitat than he does explaining species of tamarisk was recorded as having the “remarkable survival strategies of plants” roots that extended to the phenomenal depth that is the subtitle of the book. is chapter of 164 feet.” e Suez Canal is obviously not also contains a section titled “Rocksplitters” in Central America, and there is no indication that is essentially a list of plants that can grow of the author’s sources for his information on in rocky environments. While many of these root depth. is is far from the only instance are fascinating plants, the characteristics and where the author’s writing and word choice adaptations that enable them to grow in harsh, are careless. In another example, the author rocky environments are not described. states that “e majority of owering plants, however, have both sexes (stamen and pistil) e photographs, which are the work of within each ower, but pollination must be numerous photographers, are undoubtedly transferred from one ower to the next for the strength of the book. While the images fertilization to occur.” In this case, not only themselves are fascinating, they are not does he use “pollination” when he should integrated into the text. For the most part, the use “pollen,” but he also neglects those

177 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Book Reviews autogamous plants where self-pollination can can identify the key issues and facts quickly. lead to self-fertilization. Each chapter closes with a “Seed Pro le,” which provides a descriptive example of a In conclusion, this book could be used as a species representing the subject matter of that list of interesting plants, but is so super cial chapter. To illustrate the author’s approach, in its coverage that to really understand the the following are the subheadings in Chapter amazing biology of these plants readers would 1: “Separating Humans from the Monkeys”; need to do much more research on their own. “From Hunter-Gatherers to Farmers”; “How Crop Wild Relatives Have Helped Us Breed –Stephen Stern, Department of Biological Resilient Varieties”; “Human Uses of Seeds Sciences, Colorado Mesa University, Grand Down the Ages”; “e Father of Seed Science” Junction, Colorado, USA [i.e., Vavilov]; “e Seed Bank that Survived a Siege”; “Plants and Seeds from the World’s ECONOMIC BOTANY Arid Lands”; and “Seed Pro le: Grass Pea.” Seeds: A Natural History While the contents of this book obviously Carolyn Fry show scholarly strength, they consist of 2016. ISBN-13: 978-0-226- summaries, or present succinct and oen 22435-0 gripping overviews. Brevity seems to be one Cloth, US$35.00. 192 pp. ISBN-13: 978-0-226-22449-7 attribute to describe this book. Although it e-book, US$21.00. is admirable that Vavilov’s expeditions to University of Chicago Press, study wild relatives of crops and traditional Chicago, , USA landraces (which led to his and co-workers’ assessment of genetic resources and centers of Seeds: A Natural History is a well-illustrated crop origins) is celebrated early in the book, volume addressed to generalists that provides along with their dedicated choice to barricade much worthwhile information: seeds may themselves in the seed bank and to starve to be edible, or harmful, poisonous, and death or die of disease rather than eat those even deadly; persistent or perishable; store seeds that could have saved them, Vavilov’s nutrients as carbohydrate, fat, or protein; vary own death by starvation in prison is not in size from fractions of a millimeter to tens of mentioned. centimeters; and function as agents to nourish ese chapters are by no means exhaustive the embryo, provide dispersal, and dormancy. or comprehensive. e glossary is only one e book’s six chapters are titled: (1) “e page long, and the index, which unfortunately Importance of Seeds to Humanity”; (2) “How contains a misspelling, only two pages long; Plants Evolved on Planet Earth”; (3) “How however, the handsome photographs and their Seed Plants Reproduce”; (4) “Dispersal Takes captions are inviting and eective so as to be Seeds to New Pastures”; (5) “Germination suitable as groundwork, for example, for an Brings Plants Back to Life”; and (6) “Using instructor’s lectures in an advanced placement Seeds to Ensure Humanity’s Survival.” Each high school class, or as a launching pad for a chapter is divided by subheadings, and within general education college class about diverse each of those, additional headings serving as topics within these broad subject categories. bullet points to draw attention to important An entire course could potentially be built information within the pages so that the reader 178 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Book Reviews around the two-page chronology titled: United Nations (FAO), the projected export “Human Uses of Seeds Down the Ages.” ere value of its products in Namibia alone is $2.7 we learn that the use of the term “carat” to million. However, in Namibia there is limited measure the weight of a diamond derives from cultivation because of concern that this would the name of the carob plant (Ceratonia siliqua be to the detriment of communities that L.). Carob seeds were used by Mediterranean sustainably harvest the plant from the wild. traders as a unit of measurement. A jewel that erefore, the trend in Namibia now is toward weighed the same as ve seeds became known “enrichment planting” or rehabilitation of as ve carobs, or ve carat, in weight. e unsustainably harvested areas, rather than average weight of a carob seed was found to traditional cultivation. be 0.197 g; this was standardized to 200 mg in 1907. is standard, still used today, denotes is book would make an excellent means 5 carats per gram. On the same page we learn to introduce family and friends to concepts that in 2001 the headless torso of a boy named that delight botanists, especially favoring by police as “Adam” was pulled from the River the interests in applied, economic botany. ames in London. Scientists at Kew Gardens International in scope, it would also be well- later found that he had been poisoned with suited as a reference book serving students for the calabar bean ( venenosum whom English is a second language. ere is Balf. f.), a plant that has been linked to African some depth without verbosity. witchcra practices. –Dorothea Bedigian, Research Associate, Mis- Author Carolyn Fry is a science writer and the souri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri, former editor of e Geographical Journal, the USA magazine of the Royal Geographical Society. She has written ve books on botanical CITES and Cycads: A themes, including e Plant Hunters: e User’s Guide Adventures of the World’s Greatest Botanical Catherine Rutherford, John Explorers. Fry’s examples here are fresh, not Donaldson, Alex Hudson, H. conventional; e.g., seed banks pro led include Noel McGough, Maurizio Sajeva, Uwe Schippmann, and Maurice the Australian PlantBank; the Germplasm Tse-Laurence Bank of Wild Species, Kunming, Yunnan 2014. Province, China; the Greenbelt Native Plant ISBN-13: 978-1-84246-489-2 Center, a small restoration project in New York Paperback with CD-ROM, £40.00. 114 pp. City; and the N. I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Rich- mond, United Kingdom Genetic Resources, St. Petersburg, Russia.

roughout this volume, Fry’s bias toward As one who has had a long-time interest in sustainability is evident. Fry points out cycads, I found this book to be enormously that wild harvesting of Harpagophytum interesting on many levels. e aim of procumbens DC., which is used medicinally the Convention on International Trade in to reduce pain and improve movement in Endangered Species (CITES; www.. people with osteoarthritis, is putting the org) “is to ensure that international trade in species under pressure. According to the specimens of wild animals and plants does Food and Agriculture Organization of the not threaten their survival in the wild.” As

179 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Book Reviews amply documented in this volume, there Additional Slides. e volume includes are numerous ongoing threats to a glossary and three appendices: Cycad populations throughout the world, and some Binomials in Current Use; Accepted species are far more threatened than others. Names in Current Use (includes countries of distribution); and Country Checklist Prepared by sta at Kew Gardens and others (for , , Cycas, , in Italy, South , and Germany, the , Lepidozamia, Macrozamia, book is profusely illustrated with over 100 , Stangeria, and ). excellent color photographs, is well-written, and is chock-full of interesting facts and Each section consists of a series of slides information. e primary purpose of the book that can be used by an instructor to teach is to provide the user with a series of slides and cycad classi cation, global distribution by notes (written on the slides) that can be used family and genera, morphological dierences to educate and train workers on numerous between cycads and palms, and dierences details regarding the provisions of CITES as between cycads and tree ferns. Understanding it relates to the legal and illegal international key dierences between cycads and palms, trade of cycads. Customs agents, agricultural and cycads and tree ferns, is an important inspectors, and others involved in examining skill to learn. No doubt a smuggler or two and processing shipments of plant materials has intentionally labeled a shipment of across country borders will bene t from the endangered and/or illegally obtained cycads as information in this book. Being able to detect “palm trees” or “tree ferns” in an eort to fool nursery-grown from wild-collected plants is a customs agents. e information presented desirable skill set to acquire. As the authors will enable customs agents, inspectors, and note, “In day-to-day CITES enforcement this others to be aware of such situations. e is more important than identifying specimens book is not a cycad identi cation manual. to species level.” e authors emphasize that if questions arise, experts should be consulted to help with Each page in the main portion of the book identi cation. is included as a slide on the CD-ROM that is included with the book. e CD-ROM ere are three cycad families—Cycadaceae, contains les in English, Spanish, and French. , and Zamiaceae—currently One le is a copy of the entire book in pdf totaling about 344 species (http://cycadlist. format. Another le is a complete copy of the org/index.php). A large scale map shows slide presentation in Microso PowerPoint the global distribution of all cycads. e format. A speaker or trainer can use this le geographic distributions of genera in each as-is for a ready-made presentation or can family are shown on smaller scale maps, and modify it to suit speci c needs by adding or the number of species in each genus is given. deleting slides. e authors want CITES and Some may quibble over the accuracy of the cycad information to be disseminated as maps at the scales used, but the purpose widely as possible and encourage use of their of the presentation is not intended to be materials. encyclopedic, nor does it need to be. At the end of most slides, the authors provide one or e book is organized into four sections: more references to published materials and/ Introduction to Cycads; CITES and Cycads; or internet links that can be consulted for Implementing CITES for Cycads; and additional information. 180 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Book Reviews

reats to cycads include over-collecting and Bowenia (over 95,000 plants from 2000– from wild populations, habitat destruction, 2010), but populations are considered stable habitat modi cation, and extinction of insect and permits are required to collect. pollinators. e main centers of illegal trade are Africa, Asia, and Central and South Kew Gardens publishes several CITES User America. Most cycads can survive for up Guides (on, e.g., cacti, slipper orchids, and to six months aer being dug up, and with timber). e authors of CITES and Cycads are their leaves and roots removed. Photos of to be commended for their time and eort wild-collected cycad plants being bicycled to in preparing the slide presentations in this market (Cycas elongata) and stacks of wild- book and making them freely available to the collected plants con scated by authorities are public. poignant reminders of the threat that illegal –R. John Little, MagnaFlora LLC, Sacramento, trade poses to many cycad species. California, USA Trade in cycad products involves food (seeds and stems), ceremonies and decoration (leaves), baskets (leaves), medicine or magic (stems, roots, and bark), and live plants PHYSIOLOGICAL (sometimes shipped as stems). Seeds are Plant Sensing and traded from over 100 cycad species. Over 22 Communication million leaves of Cycas revoluta were exported Richard Karban from Costa Rica from 2002 to 2011. 2015. ISBN-13: 978-0-226-26470-7 Legal trade in live plants involves primarily Paperback, US$35.00. 240 pp. ornamental plants, with Cycas revoluta University of Chicago Press, being the most common (48 million plants Chicago, Illinois, USA exported between 2000 and 2010 from Costa Rica, Taiwan, Malaysia, and China). Plant Sensing and Communication is a e market is too small to justify large-scale fascinating book that is rich with scienti c commercial production of rare species for data illustrating biochemical and other private collectors, which inadvertently creates mechanisms that support plant sensation a market for wild-collected plants. ere and communication. Dr. Karban takes great is also a market for large landscape plants, care in the rst three chapters to de ne but because there are too few large plants what’s meant by plant communication— to satisfy demand, and due to their slow behavior, sense, learning, and memory. ese growth, a market also exists for large, wild- characteristics are explored as a set up to collected plants. As an example, the critically chapters that illustrate extensive research endangered Encephalartos latifrons in South and evidence of plant communication. e Africa (to 3 m tall, 300–450 mm diameter) subsequent chapters address plant response has fewer than 60 plants remaining in the communication in regard to resources, wild. Some individuals of this large species herbivores, reproduction, microbe interaction, are reported to have been wild-collected by evolution, agriculture, and medicine. Areas helicopter. Australia is the largest exporter of of research and study addressed in the book wild-collected specimens, mainly Macrozamia included plant ecology, adaptation, anatomy,

181 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Book Reviews physiology, and biochemistry. within their environment. ese are topics that could trigger real interest in high school e book introduces concepts that need to students—plants may sense the presence of be tested experimentally and qualitatively herbivores, emit the production of chemicals by scientists. Dr. Karban is exceedingly when eaten by predators, and emit volatiles responsible in this regard. e language he that can attack predators. Volatiles released uses to express possibilities, hypotheses, and by some plants may be used by other plant conjecture are clear in modifying that topics species. Plants are receptive to changes in light explored are not conclusive or set as fact. and may exhibit shade avoidance. Enzyme Some examples of this include: “…appear inhibitors can induce resistance. Intercropping to be responses,” “…unknown,” “…may use is a successful way to induce emissions of these receptors,” “a similar mechanism is probably volatiles. Ozone and carbon dioxide may aect involved,” “…may be related,” “…appear to be volatiles. Plants may house predators. Plants involved,” and “…still needs to be elucidated.” provide pollinator services. Salinity tolerance Notable too is the meticulous research and by plants deserves more study. Plant spices documentation of the References—a total of and essential oils are antibacterial. Cool! 49 pages are devoted to Dr. Karban’s work on plant communication. e number of pages Researchers and high school students alike in individual chapters was much shorter. could bene t from reading the book, which supports research and studies in plant I came to review the book from the lens of a communication. I will use Plant Sensing and PlantingScience mentor and botany teacher, Communication for my high school biology not a researcher. PlantingScience is an students as a reference to guide their student inquiry program of the Botanical Society of investigations of plant communication. America that brings students and scientists together in plant investigations and inquiry –Naomi Volain, Polytechnic School, Pasadena, methods. With the assistance of an online California, USA; [email protected] botanist mentor, students learn to design experiments, de ne variables, and constantly question assumptions about plants. Similarly, the presentation of topics and excerpts from Plant Sensing and Communication could be used to stimulate student curiosity in plants. In my PlantingScience class units, students wanted to know if plants can communicate. Some students explored the possibilities of plant communication indirectly through an anthropomorphic characterization of plants, such as exposure to music and talking to them. Beyond student perceptions of plant communication, Dr. Karban presents evidence of how plants may sense and communicate

182 PSB 62 (3) 2016

Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III (APG III), SYSTEMATICS with “slight modi cations.” Volume II includes the following groups: basal angiosperms, Flora of Florida, Vol. II Ceratophyllaceae, Ranunculales, Proteales, Richard P. Wunderlin and Bruce Buxaceae, Saxifragales, Fagales, Cucurbitales, F. Hansen 2015. Celastrales, Oxalidaceae, Malpighiales, and ISBN-13: 978-0-8130-6066-8 Geraniaceae. Volume III includes the Vitaceae, Hardcover, US$69.95. 400 pp. Zygophyllales, , and Rosales. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA Each family has a full description and a brief synopsis of its size and distribution worldwide. A key to the genera found in the state follows, Flora of Florida, Vol. III with each genus treatment then arranged Richard P. Wunderlin and Bruce alphabetically aerwards. e species within F. Hansen each genus (if more than one) are treated 2016. ISBN-13: 978-0-8130-6121-4 alphabetically as well. Here, one thing that Hardcover, US$69.95. 344 pp. gets a little burdensome is the (sometimes University Press of Florida, long) list of synonyms for a taxon. In addition Gainesville, Florida, USA to the synonym and author, the place of publication is listed for each name. is leads Florida, with over 4,300 species of native and to, in my opinion, lots of wasted page space, naturalized vascular plants, is the third most e.g. Parthenocissus quinquefolia, where the oristically diverse state in the United States. synonym section takes up more than half the is series, which will include 10 volumes, page, detailing every known synonym. is aims to be the “go-to” reference for the state. type of information might interest some, but e rst volume (published in 2000) covers I feel that the average eld botanist or ower ferns, lycophytes, and gymnosperms. e enthusiast will be overwhelmed by the text. volumes reviewed here start the treatment of Perhaps it would have been better to simply the “dicots” ( and basal angiosperms), include the most commonly encountered with four more volumes to come. Monocots synonyms (if any) in popular older works. will be covered in the three nal volumes. Sometimes, other natural history notes are given for a taxon. If any taxa in a genus are Each volume has a short introduction detailing excluded, a reason is given; I found this to how the book is laid out. e authors chose to be a nice touch not seen in many oras. include taxa if a herbarium specimen exists Distribution notes for each species are from Florida or if a specimen is cited from relatively brief. e worldwide distribution of Florida in a monograph or revision “whose a taxon is sometimes too broad, but this is a treatment is considered sound.” What, exactly, minor quibble. For instance, all the species of that latter part means is not fully explained. I Kalanchoe found in Florida are listed as “native liked that taxa that may only be of historical to Africa”; however, only one of those is truly status in the state are still included since the native to continental Africa: K. crenata. e authors state that they wanted a complete others are native to Madagascar. ora and those taxa could reappear. e systematic arrangement of the families follows e keys themselves (the many I tried,

183 PSB 62 (3) 2016 Book Reviews anyway) seem to work and do not have any should be in the book, he or she can easily ambiguous terms or confusing wording. ip to it. A Literature Cited section, as well as Because the families are arranged by order indices to common and scienti c names, ends (but this is not indicated anywhere in the each volume. book), it can be hard to nd a particular family if one simply ips pages. e Table of e books themselves are of good quality with Contents at the beginning of each volume lightweight but not cheap-feeling paper. e lists in order the families contained within, covers are durable but not heavy. It would be but again, if you don’t know that families have dicult to bring all 10 planned volumes in the undergone drastic rearrangements in the past eld, but it would not be too burdensome to decades, you might have a hard time nding bring two or three if you are speci cally going the family you need. Another page with the to look for a particular family and want the families listed alphabetically would be most reference along with you. helpful for users who don’t know anything is series will surely be the standard reference about APG (the families are, of course, listed for the unique and threatened ora of the in the index). One other thing that makes Sunshine State. I look forward to the future nding a family hard via ipping pages is a lack volumes. of family page headers. Each le-hand page header simply says “Flora of Florida” and each –John G. Zaborsky, Botany Department, right-hand page header says “Dicotyledons, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, *range of families in the volume*”. I hope Wisconsin, USA; [email protected] that future volumes will change this so that if a user somewhat remembers where a family

184 Plant Science Bulletin Plant Science Bulletin Featured Image

ISSN 0032-0919 Published quarterly by Botanical Society of America, Inc. 4475 Castleman Avenue St. Louis, MO 63166-0299

Periodicals postage is paid at St. Louis, MO & additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Botanical Society of America Business Office P.O. Box 299 St. Louis, MO 63166-0299 [email protected] At Botany 2016, current and former BSA student represen- tatives presented Executive Director William Dahl with a The yearly subscription rate special print to mark 10 years of student representation on of $15 is included in the membership the BSA Board of Directors, which Dahl spearheaded. Address Editorial Matters (only) to: Mackenzie Taylor, Editor Le to right: Rachel Meyer (2009-2011), Angela McDon- Department of Biology nell (2014-2016), Marian Chau (2010-2012), James Mc- Creighton University Daniel (2016-2018), Dahl, Mackenzie Taylor (2006-2008), 2500 California Plaza Jon Giddens (2013-2015), and Rebecca Povilus (2015- Omaha, NE 68178 2017). Phone 402-280-2157 [email protected]

The Botanical Society of America is a membership soci- ety whose mission is to: pro- mote botany, the field of basic science dealing with the study & inquiry into the form, func- tion, development, diversity, reproduction, evolution, & uses of plants & their interactions within the biosphere.

Fall 2016 Volume 62 Number 3 Fort Worth Omni ✰ Fort Worth,Texas

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