Below is a link listing the current and past winners of all the awards. Then there is a description of each award and a link to that award's committee. View the archive of past winners.
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Adolph E. Gude, Jr., Award
This monetary award honors the Gude Family, who made possible the establishment of the Gude Plant Science Center. The award, established by the Society and first given in 1983, is made triennially to a scientist or lay person in recognition of outstanding service to the science of plant biology.
The 2013 winner is...
Natasha Raikhel
University of California, Riverside
Natasha Raikhel has made significant scientific contributions to plant biology with her studies in the field of protein trafficking, including fascinating work on the vacuole, cell wall biosynthesis, nuclear import signaling, and lectins. Natasha’s work ranges over the broad areas of plant biochemistry and plant cell biology, and her extraordinary discoveries in these realms have revealed a great deal about plant growth and development. One of her major contributions has been to adapt cutting edge cell biology techniques to the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana Natasha’s visionary Center for Plant Cell Biology (CEPCEB) has provided the perfect atmosphere for innovative science and established a new paradigm for excellence in plant research and training. The center brings together the best faculty from diverse fields, promotes unprecedented interaction, and supports cutting-edge science with the latest technology. CEPCEB is unique in that no other public or private research institute offers this unprecedented combination of people, ideas, and technology to promote breakthrough science. Natasha has made a major impact on the science of plant biology and has given outstanding service to the plant community. She has served on numerous advisory and editorial boards, and she has organized many meetings. Most notably, she was editor-in-chief of Plant Physiology from 2000 to 2005, and her vision and tireless efforts transformed Plant Physiology into a flagship journal in plant biology. She instituted new initiatives, such as Breakthrough Technologies, Special Issues, Updates, and more. By shaping the foci of the journal, she effectively influenced plant research by promoting the incorporation of new concepts and technological advances. She also used the journal to bring key issues that range from the technical to the ethical to the attention of plant biologists, such as gene nomenclature, data release policies, exchanges of information and materials, and ethical standards for publishing. Through these efforts, Natasha has generated lasting impacts on the past, present, and future of plant biology.
Adolph E. Gude, Jr. Award Committee
Charles Albert Shull Award
Created in 1971 to honor the Society’s founding father and the first editor-in-chief of
Plant Physiology, this award is designed to recognize young researchers. It is a monetary award made annually and is given for outstanding investigations in the field of plant biology by a scientist who is under 45 years of age on January 1 of the year of presentation, or who is fewer than 10 years from the granting of the doctoral degree. The recipient is invited to address the Society at the annual meeting the following year.
The 2013 winner is...
Harvey Millar
The University of Western Australia, Perth
The Shull Award recognizes outstanding investigations in the field of plant biology and is being given this year to Harvey Millar (University of Western Australia) for his impressive body of research on plant mitochondria and bioinformatics. Harvey’s work on the purification, proteomics, and metabolomics of mitochondria, and on the effects of oxidative stress on mitochondrial proteins, has provided important new insights into plant mitochondrial composition and function. In addition, the genome browser developed initially in his research group for proteo-genomic mapping has facilitated collaborative studies that resulted in publication of single-base resolution methylomes for Arabidopsis and humans. Harvey will address the Society at the annual meeting in 2014.
Charles Albert Shull Award Committee
Charles F. Kettering Award
This award was established by an endowment from the Kettering Foundation in 1962 to recognize excellence in the field of photosynthesis. It is a monetary award to be given in even-numbered years to an individual for meritorious work in photosynthesis.
The 2012 winner is...
Stephen Long
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Stephen Long has earned this year’s award for his many seminal discoveries of the responses of photosynthesis to changes in the physical environment as well as the role of photosynthesis in mitigating climate change. Most recently, he and collaborators are developing plants as renewable sources of liquid fuel and addressing the social, economic, and ethical dimensions of allocating part of the food-producing landscape to the production of fuel.
Charles F. Kettering Award Committee
Charles Reid Barnes Life Membership Award
This is the oldest award, established in l925 at the first annual meeting of the Society through the generosity of Dr. Charles A. Shull. It honors Dr. Charles Reid Barnes, the first professor of plant physiology at the University of Chicago. It is an annual award for meritorious work in plant biology; it provides a life membership in the Society to an individual who is at least sixty years old. Membership is not a requirement for the award, and, if appropriate, every fifth award should be made to an outstanding plant biologist from outside the United States.
The 2013 winner is...
Robert Turgeon
Cornell University, New York
This year’s recipient of the Charles Reid Barnes Life Membership Award, ASPB’s oldest award, is Bob Turgeon (Cornell University), who is recognized and honored for his meritorious work in plant biology. In particular, Bob has made towering contributions to our understanding of phloem transport. He was the first to describe the conversion of importing phloem to exporting phloem in developing leaves, and his work has uncovered three distinct phloem loading mechanisms – apoplasitc, polymer trapping, and passive.
Charles Reid Barnes Life Membership Award Committee
Corresponding Membership Award
This honor, initially given in 1932, provides life membership and Society publications to distinguished plant biologists from outside the United States. The honor is conferred by election on the annual ballot. The committee selects no more than three (3) candidates, and these are placed on the ballot for approval of corresponding membership by majority vote. The president notifies successful candidates of their election. Election of a corresponding member is to be considered each year, and held if warranted, provided the election will not increase the number of corresponding members beyond two (2) percent of the dues-paying membership.
The 2012 winners are...
Frank Gubler
CSIRO, Canberra Plant Industry, Australia
Frank Gubler is a program and theme leader at CSIRO Plant Industry in Canberra, Australia. Over many years he has built a strong international reputation for his groundbreaking research in cereal grain biology. He has made a number of seminal contributions that have significantly advanced our understanding of protein secretion pathways in plants, hormonal signaling and regulation of gene expression, and molecular mechanisms that regulate grain germination and dormancy in cereals. One of his earliest contributions was to map out the protein secretion pathway in plants using aleurone layer cells of barley grains as a model system for studying the hormonal control of gene expression and protein secretion. He pioneered the use of immunogold detection to map out the intracellular and extracellular pathways of protein secretion and extracellular transport in aleurone layer cells. On the basis of this early work, Frank received a prestigious Queen Elizabeth Fellowship to apply newly developed transient gene expression and transgenic technologies to define the regulation of gene expression by the plant hormones gibberellic acid (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) in cereal aleurone layer cells. He was able to identify a GA-response element that conferred GA responsiveness and demonstrated that removing this element in the α-amylase promoter abolished GA responsiveness. This was followed by the discovery that the transcription factor GAMYB plays a central role in activating many GA-regulated genes, not only in aleurone cells. This was followed by novel findings on the upstream GA signaling pathway. In collaboration with Peter Chandler, he showed that GAMYB expression is dependent on SLENDER (the GAI homolog in barley) and that ABA action is downstream of SLENDER, at the level of GAMYB transcription. He also showed that the miR159 family plays a major role in tissue-specific expression of GAMYBs in Arabidopsis. More recently, using barley transgenic technologies he has shown that ABA metabolism plays a major role in maintenance of dormancy in imbibed grains. In groundbreaking work he was the first to dissect the various tissues of the cereal embryo and to use cell-specific transcriptomics and micro-hormone analyses to identify genes that contribute to dormancy. Frank’s fundamental work on GA and ABA regulation of gene expression is highly cited, and his work has been recognized internationally through many invitations to give keynote and plenary addresses at scientific conferences. He has written major reviews in prestigious international journals and books and has been an active member of Scientific Organizing Committees for National and International Conferences; he is an editor of of Plant and Cell Physiology. He has also served as a member or chair of scientific committees for commercial joint ventures. His numerous high-quality publications have been cited more than 2,500 times, and he has an H-index of 27.
Agepati Raghavendra
University of Hyderabad, India
Agepati Raghavendra is a professor & J.C. Bose National Fellow at the Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, India. He is performing pioneering work in the area of photosynthetic carbon metabolism and stomatal guard cell function. In addition to the discovery and characterization of several C4 plants and C3-C4 intermediates, as well as studies of light-dependent pH-mediated PEP carboxylase regulation, he has established new concepts relating to mitochondrial interactions with chloroplasts, and he has identified modulation of blue light effects on stomata by plasma membrane redox system and cytosolic alkalinization as a component of signal transduction in guard cells. Agepati has also introduced innovative techniques for the rapid isolation of highly active mesophyll protoplasts from pea and Arabidopsis, monitoring cytosolic pH by fluorescent dyes, and developing a reconstituted system of isolated mitochondria and peroxisomes. In recognition of his contributions, he has been elected fellow of all three Indian Science Academies, including the Indian National Science Academy and the Third World Academy of Sciences, which is based in Trieste, Italy. Agepati received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, India. He worked as an assistant professor in the Botany Department before joining the University of Hyderabad as an associate professor, later to become professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and dean of the School of Life Sciences. He has published more than 200 research papers in prestigious journals, as well as reviews and book chapters; also, his book Photosynthesis: A Comprehensive Treatise was published by Cambridge University Press. He is on the editorial board of the journal Photosynthesis Research and was on the advisory editorial board of Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration, both published by Springer. He has been a visiting professor at several universities in the United States, Germany, France, Japan, and Singapore, and he has developed extended collaborations with researchers from Japan, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Corresponding Membership Committee
Dennis R. Hoagland Award
This monetary award, established by the Society in 1985 with funds provided by the Monsanto Agricultural Products Company, honors Dr. Dennis R. Hoagland, recipient of the first Hales award, for his outstanding contributions and leadership in plant mineral nutrition. The award, to be made not more frequently than triennially, is for outstanding plant research in support of agriculture.
The 2012 winner is...
Mary Lou Guerinot
Dartmouth College
Mary Lou Guerinot receives this award for her seminal contributions to the field of iron nutrition, work that has revolutionized our understanding of iron’s uptake, long-distance transport, and distribution to subcellular compartments, as well as iron deficiency signaling pathways in plants.
Dennis R. Hoagland Award Committee
Excellence in Education Award (Excellence in Teaching until 2009)
This award was initiated in 1988 to recognize outstanding teaching, mentoring, and/or educational outreach in plant biology. It is a monetary award to be made annually in recognition of excellence in teaching, leadership in curricular development, or authorship of effective teaching materials in the science of plant biology.
The 2013 winner is...
Erin Dolan
University of Georgia, Athens
The 2013 Excellence in Education Award is made to Erin Dolan (University of Georgia). Erin is recognized for her development of innovative teaching methods; extensive record of mentoring; leadership as both former chair of the ASPB Education Committee and member of the Education Foundation Board; and widespread, influential outreach efforts. Erin has initiated several federally funded outreach programs at multiple institutions, thereby reaching countless educators and students. She has also published numerous science education research articles and is currently editor-in-chief of CBE Life Sciences Education.
Excellence in Education Award Committee
Eric E. Conn Young Investigator Award
The Eric E. Conn Young Investigator Award, first given by the Society in 2011, honors Eric E. Conn's contributions in plant biology by recognizing young scientists who will be inspired to follow in his footsteps. The award recognizes not only outstanding research but also demonstrated excellence in outreach, public service, mentoring, or teaching by plant scientists at the beginning of their careers. This award is a monetary award made biennially for demonstrated commitment by a member of the Society who is not more than five years post-PhD on January 1st of the year of the presentation. It also provides one year membership to the Society.
The 2013 winner is...
Daisuke Urano
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
This year’s recipient, Daisuke Urano (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is recognized both for his outstanding contributions to our understanding of the regulation of G protein activation in plants and for his great mentoring skills. Daisuke demonstrated the mechanism of self-activation of G protein signaling in plants, work that was published in Nature Cell Biology. In addition to his research activities, Daisuke has made significant contributions to a number of ASPB activities and to mentoring students and postdocs.
Eric E. Conn Young Investigator Award Committee
Martin Gibbs Medal
The Martin Gibbs Medal was instituted by the Society's executive committee in 1993 to honor Martin Gibbs, editor of Plant Physiology from 1963 to 1992. The Gibbs Medal is presented biennially to an individual who has pioneered advances that have served to establish new directions of investigation in the plant sciences. The winner will receive the medal and will be invited to convene a Martin Gibbs Medal Symposium at the annual meeting the following year.
The 2013 winner is...
Jen Sheen
Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
It is our pleasure to award the 2013 Martin Gibbs Medal to Jen Sheen. Jen’s receipt of the Gibbs Medal recognizes her seminal and innovative contributions to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the plant signal transduction cascades that mediate nutrient, hormone, and environmental stress responses and pathogen defenses in plants. Jen’s work is characterized by a penchant for developing and implementing powerful research strategies, as well as integrating a number of complementary experimental approaches to develop new and deeper understanding of plant biology. Jen will convene a Martin Gibbs Medal Symposium at the annual meeting in 2014.
Martin Gibbs Medal Committee
Robert Rabson Award
The Robert Rabson Award, first given by the Society in 2012, recognizes Bob Rabson's steadfast advocacy of plant biology through creation of funding programs in the Department of Energy for research in basic energy sciences. The award recognizes postdocs and faculty-level early career scientists, whether or not members of the Society, in academic, government, and corporate research institutions, who have made excellent contributions in the area of bioenergy research. The award, which is made biennially, is a monetary award that also provides a one-year membership in the Society.
The 2012 winner is...
Yuki Tobimatsu
University of Wisconsin - Madison
For his exceptional hard work, thoughtful independent analysis, and effective collaborations in the areas of lignin biosynthesis and cell wall biochemisty, Dr. Yuki Tobimatsu is winner of the first Robert Rabson Award. This award recognizes Bob Rabson’s steadfast advocacy for plant biology through the creation of funding programs in the Department of Energy for research in basic energy sciences.
Robert Rabson Award Committee
Stephen Hales Prize
This award honors the Reverend Stephen Hales for his pioneering work in plant biology published in his 1727 book Vegetable Staticks. It is a monetary award established in 1927 for a scientist, whether or not a member of the Society, who has served the science of plant biology in some noteworthy manner. The award is made annually. The recipient of the award is invited to address the Society on a subject in plant biology at the next annual meeting.
The 2013 winner is...
Brian A. Larkins
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
This year’s recipient, Brian Larkins (University of Nebraska – Lincoln), is recognized for his early pioneering work that brought molecular biology to plant studies, and his continued dedication to understanding the regulation of seed development while aiming to improve the nutritional quality of seed storage proteins. Brian is also recognized for the many outstanding examples of his leadership in promoting plant sciences. Brian will address the Society at the annual meeting in 2014.
Stephen Hales Prize Committee
Early Career
The Early Career was instituted by the Society's executive committee in 2005 to recognize outstanding research by scientists at the beginning of their careers. This award is a monetary award made annually for exceptionally creative, independent contributions by a member of the Society who is not more than five years post-Ph.D. on January 1st of the year of the presentation.
The 2013 winner is...
Michael Gore
Cornell University, New York
Michael Gore is recognized this year for his extraordinary contributions to the development and application of large-scale genomic tools for crop improvement through quantitative genetics, including the first haploytype map (HapMap) and genome-wide association resources for maize.
Early Career Award Committee
Lawrence Bogorad Award for Excellence in Plant Biology Research
The ASPB Lawrence Bogorad Award for Excellence in Plant Biology Research was approved by the Society’s executive committee in 2005 to honor Dr. Bogorad’s many contributions to plant biology, including his influential efforts to bring the techniques of molecular biology to bear on problems in plant biology; his groundbreaking research on chloroplast genetics, biogenesis, structure, and function;and his inspired teaching and mentoring. The ASPB Lawrence Bogorad Award for Excellence in Plant Biology Research is a monetary award made biennially to a plant scientist whose work both illuminates the present and suggests paths to enlighten the future.
The 2012 winner is...
Wolf Frommer
Carnegie Institute of Washington
Wolf Frommer is recognized for his major contributions in the development of fundamental tools and technologies essential for breakthrough discoveries that advance our understanding of glucose, sucrose, ammonium, amino acid, and nucleotide transport in plants.
Lawrence Bogorad Award for Excellence in Plant Biology Research Committee
ASPB-Pioneer Hi-Bred Graduate Student Fellowship
This award, made possible by the generosity of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, recognizes and encourages innovative graduate research and innovation in areas of plant biology that relate to important commodity crops. One $22,000 fellowship will be given annually from 2010 through 2013, with an additional $1,000 awarded for the recipient to attend the ASPB annual meeting in the year of their award. Each nominee must attend a U.S.-accredited college or university and must demonstrate interest in the study of plant biology or a related discipline. Each nominee must be a Ph.D. candidate—i.e., have successfully passed their preliminary examinations, must demonstrate an excellent academic record, and must be a member of ASPB. An individual may receive this prize only once. ASPB-Pioneer Hi-Bred Graduate Student Fellowship Committee
The 2013 winner is:
Rachel Egger
Stanford University, California
Rachel Egger (Stanford University) is the 2013 recipient of this fellowship; she is a PhD student studying maize anther development in Virginia Walbot’s laboratory. Rachel’s dissertation research focuses on understanding the mechanisms that regulate asymmetric cell division, a critical event in anther patterning and pollen formation.
ASPB-Pioneer Hi-Bred Graduate Student Fellowship Committee
Fellow of ASPB Award
Established in 2007, the Fellow of ASPB award may be granted in recognition of distinguished and long-term contributions to plant biology and service to the Society by current members in areas that include research, education, mentoring, outreach, and professional and public service. Current members of ASPB who have contributed to the Society for at least 10 years are eligible for nomination. Recipients of the Fellow of ASPB honor, which may be granted to no more than 0.2% of the current membership each year, receive a certificate of distinction and a lapel pin.
Fellow of ASPB Award Committee
The 2013 ASPB Fellows
The 2012 ASPB Fellows
The 2011 ASPB Fellows
The 2010 ASPB Fellows
The 2009 ASPB Fellows
The 2008 ASPB Fellows
The 2007 inaugural class of ASPB Fellows
ASPB Leadership in Science Public Service Award
The ASPB Public Affairs Committee awards the ASPB Leadership in Science Public Service Award annually to recognize individuals who have advanced the mission of ASPB and its members through significant contributions to plant science and public policy leadership. Awardees generally have made contributions to the broader society that are relevant to the work of plant biologists; recipients need not be plant scientists themselves.
The ASPB Leadership in Science Public Service Award recipient is invited to address the Society during the annual meeting held in the year of their award.
The 2013 recipient is:
Robert Zeigler
International Rice Research Institute
Robert Zeigler is honored for his focus on addressing the agricultural needs of the developing world through plant biology research. He has served as a professor at Kansas State University, directed the Generation Challenge Program at CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research), and is currently the director general at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). He has guided IRRI, whose goals include increasing the nutrition and quality of rice through sustainable practices, toward breeding lines able to withstand a variety of environmental extremes, such as drought and flooding. He has been recognized for his scientific achievements as a fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Phytopathological Society and was named a "Global Innovator” by Time Magazine in 2007. He will speak as part of the awards symposium at Plant Biology 2013 in Providence this July.
The Public Affairs Commitee welcomes nominations for individuals who should be considered for the ASPB Leadership in Science Public Service Award. Please send letters of nomination and any questions to ASPB Associate Director of Public Affairs Kathy Munkvold (kmunkvold@aspb.org).
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