Dear BSA Members

Good afternoon! July BSA eNewsletter - 80° and sunny in St. Louis!

1. Botany 2007 wrap-up

2,786 plant scientist joined together for the Botany & Plant Biology 2007 Joint Congress. It was kicked-off with a keynote address by "Judge Jones", where he outline his landmark decision in the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District bench trial, the first direct challenge brought in the federal courts against a school district that mandated the teaching of intelligent design. Judge Jones provided an overview of the case and how the evidence presented lead to directly to the decision. He also concentrated on the importance of an independent judiciary and the need for teaching "civics" in school as a way of enhancing a rudimentary understanding of the US Judiciary system.

Drs. Bruce Baldwin, William Crepet and Edith Taylor received the BSA Merit Award, the Society's highest honor. We thank them for the outstanding contributions to the plant sciences.

Drs. Thomas Rost and James Wandersee received the exclusive Charles Edwin Bessey Teaching Award.

This year marks the first time that the Grady L. Webster Award has been presented. We are pleased to present the award to a group of authors including Barbara A. Ambrose, Silvia Espinosa-Matías, Sonia Vázquez-Santana, Francisco Vergara-Silva, Esteban Martínez, Judith Márquez-Guzmán, and Elena R. Alvarez-Buylla for their paper entitled, “Comparative developmental series of the Mexican triurids support a euanthial interpretation for the unusual reproductive axes of  Lacandonia schismatica (Triuridaceae).”

2. Botany 2008

The meeting in Vancouver is already gearing up to be a great meeting. Fantastic city, great venue and more than enough science to fill the program. Please plan ahead. Mkae sure you've taken the time to renew your visa! Yes, you now need a pssport and a visa to enter Canada!

Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,

William M Dahl
Executive Director
Botanical Society of America
4475 Castleman Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110

PO Box 299
St. Louis, MO 63166-0299

Ph: 314-577-9566
FAX: 314-577-9515
www.botany.org
www.BotanyConference.org
www.PlantingScience.org

Mission: The Botanical Society of America exists to promote botany, the field of basic science dealing with the study and inquiry into the form, function, development, diversity, reproduction, evolution, and uses of plants and their interactions within the biosphere.

The objectives of The Society are to: sustain and provide improved formal and informal education about plants; encourage basic plant research; provide expertise, direction, and position statements concerning plants and ecosystems; and foster communication within the professional botanical community, and between botanists and the rest of humankind through publications, meetings, and committees.