Greetings!

We know that everyone is busy finishing up the semester, but we have a few exciting notes to share from the BSA.

First, there are only a few more days to RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP for the student rate of $15. This rate can’t be beat and it is not available after December 31^st. If you are even considering attending Botany 2008 or publishing in the American Journal of Botany, you will gain the fee back. Also, your membership keeps you on the mail and email lists so that you can stay up to date with what is going on in the society and the international plant science community. Your membership and participation is highly valued!! Go to <https://payments.botany.org/joinbsa/> or link from <www.botany.org> and renew today. PS - thanks to the many of you who have already completed this task!

The Botany 2008 call for abstracts will open on February 1st, 2008 and meeting registration will open on March 1st. This meeting will be in beautiful Vancouver, BC. For more info see <www.2008.botanyconference.org/>

The applications to all of the student travel awards given by the BSA will be available soon. Keep an eye on the Student’s Corner <www.botany.org> for more information as it becomes available. I think the office is putting these up today.

Proposals are due for the 2008 BSA Graduate Student Research Awards on March 1st.

PlantingScience is in need of more Master Plant Scientists. This group did a fantastic job this year! The spring will bring an even bigger crop of participants who need enthusiastic science mentors. There is always room for more mentors and this is an excellent service opportunity for very busy grad students! Conatact Claire at <chemingway@botany.org> for more information and the benefits that come with the task.

The BSA by-laws committee met recently. Andrew is serving on this committee and attended in order to give students a voice on matters concerning the BSA by-laws. This is part of the initiative to involve students in every level of governance in the society.

Student Elections will be coming up quickly. If you are interested in serving a 2-year term as a student representative, feel free to email Andrew or Mackenzie for information about what the position requires.

Remember to be an ambassador for the society, encourage you fellow students and colleagues to join.

Cheers and have a great holiday,

Mackenzie Taylor            Andrew Schwendemann
mackenzie@utk.edu         aschwend@ku.edu

Student Representatives
Botanical Society of America
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.

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.