PLANT SCIENCE BULLETIN

ISSN 0032-0919

BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

Editor: Marshall D. Sundberg
Division of Biological Sciences
Emporia State University
1200 Commercial Street, Emporia, KS 66801-5707
Telephone: 316-341-5605 Fax: 316-341-5607
Email: sundberm@emporia.edu

We had to make one significant change on the cover of the Plant Science Bulletin this year, the number 2000, so we thought a whole new face would be appropriate. Although the cover looks different, the format carries on the tradition of my predecessors and depends almost entirely on your input as member/contributors. You are the reason this newsletter has been so successful! As I begin my tenure as editor, I want to acknowledge two people whose help has been essential. Meredith Lane, editor from 1991 until 1994, established the current PSB format and instituted the Book Reviews as a regular section. Joe Leverich, my predecessor, was particularly helpful in smoothing the current transition. He's left me some pretty big shoes to fill!

In addition to regular contributions from members, sections and the society, I will be soliciting articles that I think may be of interest to the membership as a whole. With that in mind, let me provide a brief introduction.

Plant Biology at the Beginning of the New Millennium

In 1995 several interesting and useful documents were published by the Society. One, Botany for the Next Millennium, examined the status of the plant sciences and recommended goals and actions for the membership in order to maintain botany as a vital field of natural science. In that document the following statement was made: " In many cases, respondents described an erosion of plant biology research and teaching as some institutions have reorganized their botany departments." This, unfortunately, is not a new concern. Over the past three decades, several articles have appeared in these pages, and elsewhere, expressing the concern that the reorganization and loss of botany departments was weakening the discipline and ultimately contributing to a decrease in public understanding of the importance of plants. One of these (Eshbaugh, 1983, "Plant Biology in the Future," PSB 29: ) presented a table of data gathered from the 1968 and 1983 printings of a Guide to Graduate Study in Botany. The 8^th edition of this document was a second society special publication in 1995. Following is an expanded version of Eshbaugh's table including the more recent data. Of course some "apples and oranges" comparisons are made here. For instance, UC Davis now records all of the plant sciences as opposed to just one department and I'm reasonably confident that the number of Ph.D.'s shown for Illinois is a typo. Nevertheless, this table seems to present both good news and bad. The good news is that in some places plant science is holding it's own - - the bad news is that even "holding its own" is not keeping up with gains in other places. And the trend is continuing. My former department at LSU, Botany (Plant Biology), is now part of a biology department. This is also true for several other departments listed as Botany in the `95 table. What is not evident from the table is some of the best news. Our graduate
programs depend on interest generated at the undergraduate level, and there are some good examples of where this interest is thriving and growing. In the following article, Frank Ewers describes the successful program he directs at Michigan State University. There are a number of components that contribute to this success, many of which can be adapted to our own institutions — from 2-yr colleges through Research I programs. Lets give it a try! —Ed.
 

Plant Science Bulletin
ISSN 0032-0919

Published quarterly by Botanical Society of America, Inc., 1735 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210

The yearly subscription rate of $15 is included in the membership dues of the Botanical Society of America, Inc. Periodical postage paid at Columbus, OH and additional mailing office.

Address Editorial Matters (only) to:
Marsh Sundberg, Editor
Div. Biol. Sci., Emporia State Univ.
1200 Commercial St.
Emporia, KS 66801-5057
Phone 316-341-5605
email: sundberm@emporia.edu

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:

Kim Hiser, Business Manager
Botanical Society of America
1735 Neil Ave.
Columbus OH 43210-1293
Phone/Fax: 614/292-3519
email: hiser.3@osu.edu

Faculty per Botany Department Grad Students per Botany Dept Botany Ph.D.'s in past 5 Years

                                    1968 1983 1995     1968 1983 1995     1968 1983 1995
Arizona State Univ.         9     11     32         38     27     64             5     13     11
U. of Arkansas (biol)     10     9     (7)         14     19     (6)             7      5      (2)
Brigham Young Univ.     13     —d —         34     —      —             1     —     —
U. of Calif. (Berkeley)    15     15 (21+8)     56     38 (60+15)         30 43 (19+16)
U. of Calif. (Davis)         21     30     107         53     43     102           42   46     69
U. of Calif. (Los Angeles)14     Biol. (14)     53     Biol.     65           56     Biol  116
U. of Chicago                 11     Biol. (2+6)     23     Biol    . —         30     Biol. —
Claremont Grad. School  6     —     12            8     —       10          13     —     9
Cornell Univ.                  24     —     45         34     —     45             25+   —     53
Duke Univ.                     16     18     25         54     51     50             36     35     33
U. of Florida                   17     16     18         28     42     35             20      9     15
U. of Georgia                  18  Biol.     24         33   Biol.     51            16   Biol.   36
U. of Hawaii                    14     —     14         34     —     32             10     —     20
U. of Illinois                     19     25     15         61     43     31             34     29     335
Indiana Univ.(biol)           14     Biol. (18)         46 Biol. ___              29   Biol.     ___
U. of Iowa (biol)             10     20     (15)         33     20     ___         19     12     ___
U. of Kansas                   12     13     14         27     21     15             26     10     10
U. of Kentucky                 6     —     —         10     —     --                3     —     --
U. of Maryland                 18     18     26         57     44     52             17     27     24
U. of Massachusetts         21     18     25         43     25     45             5     20     16
Miami Univ.                     11     14     19         40     24     36         (1967) 20     23
U. of Michigan                 25     —     24         56     —     28             35     —     —
U. of Minnesota               14     14     23         51     29     34             12     17     53
Mississippi State Univ.       6     Biol.   --         15     Biol. ___            (1965) Biol.  __
U. of Missouri (biol)         11     —     9           32     —     —             10     —     —
U. of Montana (biol)         10       9     8           20     22     —             1(1964) 5     3
U. of Nebraska (biol)       10  Life Sci. 23       13 Life Sci. —              7 Life Sci. —
U. of New Hampshire       10     11     22         24     8     30              11      5      7
North Carolina State Univ. 14     27     18         42     46     35             12     24     13
Univ. of North Carolina (biol)19 (6) Biol (13)     47     Biol. —             12     Biol. —
Ohio State Univ.                 24     20     16         49     26     40             38     14     19
U. of Rhode Island               9     14       7         26      23     11               6     12      8
Rutgers                               10   Biol.     34         43   Biol.     25             26   Biol.   20
Southern Illinois Univ.          14     16     21         33     51     43               7     16     17
U. of Tennessee                   17     26     18         49     40     31             13     18     14
U. of Texas                         20     27     20         70     48     68             55     37     31
Utah State Univ.(biol)          11     Biol.  10         30     Biol  . —             7     Biol    . —
U. of Utah(biol)                     8     —     12         40     —     —              5     —     —
U. of Vermont                       9     10     11           5     16     20              3     2     5
Washington State Univ.         12     13     12         33     25     23             15     20     19
Washington Univ.                 15     —     —         38     —     —             15     —     —
U. of Washington                 11     18     39         37     42     40             18     30     26
U. of Wisconsin(Mad.)         18     20     16         63(5) 53     30             27     32     —
U. of Wisconsin(Mil.)(biol)             13     —         8       30     —             (1976)^c —     —
Total                                     609  432   831       1625  826  1107           758   500   1042
Average                                 13.8 17.3 20.8         36.9 33.0 35.7             18.9 20.0 35.9

Plant Science Bulletin
Editorial Committee for Volume 46
Vicki A. Funk (2001)
Department of Botany
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, D.C. 20560
mnhbo003@sivm.si.edu

Ann E. Antlfinger (2002)
Biology Department
Univ. of Nebraska - Omaha
Omaha NE 681823
antlfinger@unomaha.edu

P. Mick Richardson (2000)
Missouri Botanical Garden
P.O. Box 299
St. Louis, MO 63166
mick.richardson@mobot.org

Norman C. Ellstrand (2003)
Department of Botany and Plant Science
University of California
Riverside CA 92521-0124
ellstrand@ucracl.ucr.edu

James E. Mickle (2004)
Department of Botany
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-7612
james_mickle@ncsu.edu

Michigan State is a large research university with a strong graduate program in Botany and Plant Pathology, but for many years in the 1980's we had less than 10 undergraduate majors in our department. To revitalize an undergraduate program in plant biology requires effective leadership. When we hired a new Department Chair, plant pathologist Gustaaf de Zoeten, in 1990, he argued that a strong, visible undergraduate program was essential to the long-term survival of botany and plant pathology at Michigan State. He set a goal of having 100 undergraduate majors in our department. We currently have over 80 undergraduate majors and we expect to reach the goal of 100 within the next few years. We reformed our undergraduate program starting in the early 1990's, with changes in curriculum, advising policies and the insertion of extracurricular activities. In fact, we made so many changes that it is difficult to tell which ones were most important to the gradual but steady revitalization of our program.

First we surveyed our alumni, posing the question, "How well did our program prepare you for employment or graduate school?" Then, as now, about one half of our graduates went on to graduate school, but the other half sought employment directly with their bachelor degree. Students who had gone on directly to graduate school felt our program had served them well, but those who sought employment with a B.S. from our department felt ill prepared. For various reasons they found it difficult to get their "foot in the door" for suitable entry level employment. The other issue that needed addressing was that prospective majors were not aware of the wide range of opportunities that were available within the plant sciences, and they were not sure how we differed from our sister departments at Michigan State such as Horticulture, Forestry, and Crop and Soil Science. To remedy these problems, we installed a number of curriculum changes.

We began to offer tracks or "concentrations" within our major in 1991. Currently we offer a B.S. in Botany and Plant Pathology with concentrations in General Botany, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Botanical Gardens and Conservatories, Ecology, Systematics and Evolution, Pathology and Mycology, Physiology and Molecular Biology, and Plant Protection. The various tracks differ only slightly from one another, but they highlight different career tracks that a student could follow, plus they act as a "built in" advisor for students with particular career interests. We added a B.S. program in Environmental Biology/Botany, in 1997, which has been growing slowly but steadily.

We also initiated requirements for all our majors to do at least one semester of Undergraduate Research (BOT 498), followed by a Senior Seminar course (BOT 499). Almost every professor in our department has sponsored students in Undergraduate Research over the last several years. Undergraduate
Research not only gives the student hands-on experience, it also provides a link to a particular laboratory. In some cases the student is directly guided by the professor, in other cases the undergraduate will work more closely with a graduate student, a post-doc, or a technician in a research laboratory. Some projects have provided opportunities for field research at Kellogg Biological Station, along Lake Michigan sand dunes or remote sites in exotic locations such as Alaska, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Nepal. Financial support for undergraduate research has come from various sources including NSF-REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) awards, competitive college level research scholarships for undergraduates, and college and university level Study Abroad scholarships. In 1998 the University built for us a new teaching greenhouse, in part, to support Undergraduate Research Projects. As a result of Undergraduate Research each student gains a better understanding of the scientific process, gains practical skills, and usually can obtain a good or excellent letter of reference. In the Senior Seminar course the student develops their own CV and web page, and they polish their skills in public speaking, computer science, and scientific writing. The course culminates with the students each giving a public seminar on their research project.

We also made a number of changes to improve the "culture" of the undergraduate experience in our department. Michigan State is an extremely large university where the undergraduate student often feels ignored or isolated. In addition to requiring Undergraduate Research, we instituted several other programs or policies to enrich the undergraduate experience, to eliminate anonymity, and to link undergraduate with the mainstream of our department.

Three professors in the department serve as academic advisors, and there is an undergraduate secretary to answer the student's questions, help them with enrolment problems, and so forth. Each semester we mail to each of our majors an individualized letter commenting on their academic progress within the program, reminding them who is their advisor, and providing other essential information. Our goal, not always met to date, is for a particular student to have the same academic advisor throughout their undergraduate career in our department, maximizing continuity from year to year. We have a bulletin board within the department with identification photos of all our undergraduate majors, notices for internships and jobs, and undergraduate club news. The photo board helps our faculty and staff to learn who are our undergraduate majors, and it also helps the students to identify each other. Tracking down our majors to take their photo can be a challenge, but it is worth it. All of our majors are also put on an email list-server so that we can send them messages such as the weekly departmental "News-O-Gram" which includes notices of jobs and internships.

At Michigan State most undergraduate students work part-time and summer jobs as they go to school. We have 

Once we had a "critical mass" of majors, in 1995, we initiated a student lead, faculty advised Undergraduate Botany and Plant Pathology Club. The students set the club agenda each year, which usually includes field trips, career development and outreach activities. The club has its own web site to help promote and organize their activities. Several members of the club also serve as "peer advisors", to provide students with insights regarding courses at Michigan State and to supplement the official advice that students get from their academic advisor. About half of our majors participate in club activities from time to time. We found that offering free pizza and soft drinks helps improve the turnout for organizational meetings!

Each fall we have an evening roundtable panel discussion on "Graduate Schools in the Plant Sciences", to inform students of everything they ought to know about applying for graduate schools. This year for the first time we will also have a roundtable panel discussion on "Non-Academic Careers in the Plant Sciences." Several of our alumni have volunteered to serve as panel members, to guide and inspire the undergraduates.

We pay special attention to our Seniors. Each year in our main hallway we have a bulletin board showing profiles of all our graduating Seniors, and the profiles are organized into a yearbook which is given to each graduate in the spring, at a departmental graduation reception. We also track student careers after graduation. Alumni success stories boost the moral of our present majors and they help with recruiting new students. Our alumni also notify us of job opportunities for graduating seniors.

Compared to departments such as Zoology and Horticulture at Michigan State, we still have a small undergraduate program. As such, we are able to provide our majors with considerable individual attention. That may be the key ingredient for growing an undergraduate program in plant biology at a large research university. Further information on our program is available from our Website: http//pilot.msu.edu/unit/botany/

By way of a postscript, the winds of administrative restructuring are currently blowing through our department. Of course, this is not the first time. Our first graduating class, in "Botany and Vegetable Physiology" was in 1861, back when Michigan State was called the "Michigan Agricultural College". We have been the "Department of Botany and Plant Pathology" since 1932. A likely outcome of ongoing administrative shifts is that the plant pathologists in our department will form a separate department in our College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, while Botany, perhaps to be renamed "Plant Biology", will remain in the College of Natural Science. Although in the last four years, only 7% of our undergraduate majors have actually
specialized in the Plant Pathology and Mycology track, a high percentage of our undergraduate majors have worked part-time and/or summer jobs in plant pathology labs within the department. Partly as a result of those experiences, 43% of the Senior Seminar research talks have been in the area of plant pathology, and many of our botany majors have gone on to graduate programs in that field. Our majors get the complete view from theoretical to applied plant science. Given this mostly happy marriage, I dearly hope that our Botany and Plant Pathology undergraduate program will remain intact, in both name and spirit, lest we loose our critical mass.

— Frank Ewers, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Michigan State University

The number of undergraduate majors in Botany and Plant Pathology at Michigan State University increased steadily throughout the 1990's

BSA List of Officers for 1999 2000

(* = Members of the Council) Effective 8/5/99

PRESIDENT

*Douglas E. Soltis (1999-2000)
Department of Botany
Washington State University
P.O. Box 644238
Pullman, WA 99164
(509) 3355302 FAX (509) 3353517
EMail: dsoltis@mail.wsu.edu

PRESIDENTELECT
*Patricia G. Gensel (19992000)
Department of Biology CB#3280
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC 275993280
Phone: (919) 9626937
FAX: (919) 9621625
Email: pgensel@bio.unc.edu

SECRETARY
*Pamela Soltis (19972000)
Department of Botany
Washington State University
P.O. Box 644238
Pullman, WA 99164
(509) 3353533 FAX (509) 3353517
EMail: psoltis@wsu.edu

TREASURER
*Edward L. Schneider (19982001)
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
1212 Mission Canyon Rd
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
(805) 6824726 X123 FAX: (805) 5630352
EMail: eschneider@sbbg.org

PROGRAM DIRECTOR
*Jeffrey M. Osborn (19992002)
Division of Science
Truman State University
Kirksville, MO 63501
(660) 7854017 FAX (660) 7854045
EMail: josborn@truman.edu

COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE
*Scott Russell (19992001)
Department of Botany and Microbiology
University of Oklahoma
Norman, OK 730190245
(405) 3256234 FAX (405) 3257619
EMail:srussell@ou.edu

EDITOR, American Journal of Botany
Karl J. Niklas (2004)
214 Plant Science Bldg.
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 148535908
(607) 2558727 FAX (607) 2555407
EMail: kjn2@cornell.edu

EDITOR, Plant Science Bulletin
Marshall D. Sundberg
Division of Biological Sciences
Emporia State University
1200 Commercial St.
Emporia, KS 66801-5087
(316)341-5605 FAX (316) 341-5607
EMail: sundberm@emporia.edu

BUSINESS MANAGER
*Kim Hiser
Botanical Society of America
1735 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 432101293
(614) 2923519 (Phone and FAX)
hiser.3@osu.edu

PASTPRESIDENT, 1999
*Carol C. Baskin
School of Biological Sciences
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 405060225
(606) 2578770 FAX (606) 2571717
EMail: jmbask0@ukcc.uky.edu

PASTPRESIDENT, 1998
Nancy Dengler
Department of Botany
University of Toronto
Toronto, ON Canada M5S 3B2
(416) 9783536 FAX (416) 9785878
EMail: dengler@botany.utoronto.ca

PAST PRESIDENT, 1997
Daniel J. Crawford
Department of Plant Biology
Ohio State University
1735 Neil Ave.
Columbus, OH 432101293
(614) 2922725 FAX (614) 2926345
EMail:crawford.13@osu.edu

BSA Sectional Officers for 1999 2000
(* = BSA Council Members) Revised 10/22/99
** indicates expired term.

BRYOLOGICAL AND LICHENOLOGICAL SECTION
Chair (2001):
* Paula DePriest
Department of Botany, NHB 166
National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 20560
(202) 3572545, FAX (202) 7862563
EMail: depriest@onyx.si.edu

DEVELOPMENTAL AND STRUCTURAL SECTION
Chair (2001):
*Jean Gerrath
Department of Biology
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA 506140421
Phone: (319) 2737152
FAX: (319) 2737125 

Program Director (2000):
Elizabeth M. Harris
Ohio State University Herbarium
Museum of Biological Diversity
1315 Kinnear Road
Columbus, OH 43212
(614) 2923296, FAX (614) 2923009
Email: harris.690@osu.edu

Treasurer (2000):
Cynthia Jones
Department of Ecol. and Evol. Biol.
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT 06269
(203) 4864150, FAX (203) 4866364
EMail: cjones@unconnvm.ucon.edu

ECOLOGY SECTION
Chair (2001):
*Maxine A. Watson
Department of Biology
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN 474056801
(812) 8555591 FAX: (812) 8556705
Email: mwatson@bio.indiana.edu

ViceChair (2001):
Elizabeth P. Lacey
Department of Biology
University of North Carolina
Greensboro, NC 27420
(336) 3345391 X53 FAX: 336/3345839
Email: laceye@goodall.uncg.edu

Secretary (2001):
Massimo Pigliucci
Department of Botany
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 379961100
(423) 9746221 FAX: (423) 9740978
Email: pigliucci@utk.edu

ECONOMIC BOTANY SECTION
Chair (2002):
Felix G. Coe
Department of Biology
Tennessee Technological University
Box 5063
Cookeville, TN 38505
(931) 3726257, FAX: (931) 3726257
EMail fcoe@tntech.edu

SecretaryTreasurer (2000):
*Daniel K. Harder
Missouri Botanical Garden
P.O. Box 299
St. Louis, MO 631660299
(314) 5775169, FAX (314) 5775169
EMail: harder@mobot.org

GENETICS SECTION
Chair (2001):
*Jeri Higginbotham
Division of Natural Sciences
Transylvania University
Lexington, KY 405081797
(606) 2338241 FAX (606) 2338171
Email: jhigginbotham@mail.transy.edu

Vice Chair (2001):
[vacant]

SecretaryTreasurer (2001):
[vacant]

Editor, Newsletter (1999):
Vance Baird
Horticultural Department
Plant and Animal Science Building
Clemson University
Clemson, SC 296340375
(803) 6564953, FAX (803) 6564960
vance baird@quickmail.clemson.edu

HISTORICAL SECTION
Chair (2001):
Vassiliki Betty Smocovitis
Department of History
4131 Turlington Hall
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 326117320
(352) 3920271 FAX 3926927
EMail: bsmocovi@history.ufl.edu

ViceChair (2001)
Peter F. Stevens
Harvard University Herbaria
22 Divinity Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 4952348 FAX 4959484
EMail: pstevens@oeb.harvard.edu

SecretaryTreasurer (2001)
*Laurence J. Dorr
Department of Botany, MRC166
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 205600166
(202) 6339106 or 3572534 FAX 7862563
EMAIL: dorrl@nmnh.si.edu

MYCOLOGICAL SECTION
Chair (2001):
*David S. Hibbett
Department of Biology
Clark University
950 Main Street
Worcester, MA 016101477
Fax: 5087938861
EMail: dhibbett@oeb.harvard.edu

PALEOBOTANICAL SECTION
Chair (2002):
James F. Basinger
Department of Geological Sciences
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0W0 CANADA
(306) 9665687 FAX: (306) 9668593
EMail: jim.basinger@sask.usask.ca

SecretaryTreasurer (2001):
*Steven R. Manchester
Florida Museum of Natural History
Department of Natural Sciences
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 326112035

Editor, Bibliography of American Paleobotany (2001):
Patrick S. Herendeen
Department of Biological Sciences
George Washington University
Lisner Hall 340
2023 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20052
(202) 9945828 FAX (202) 9946100
Email: herenden@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu

PHYCOLOGICAL SECTION
Chair (2001):
*Louise A. Lewis
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of Conneticut
75 North Eagleville Road, U43
Storrs, CT 062693042
(860) 4866723 FAX (860) 4866364
EMail: llewis@uconnvm.uconn.edu

Secretary (1999):
Jeffrey R. Johansen
Department of Biology
John Carroll University
University Heights, OH 44118
(216) 3974487, FAX: (216) 3974482
Email: johansen@jcu.edu

PHYSIOLOGICAL SECTION
Chair (2001):
*Peter F. Straub
Natural Science and Mathematics Division
Richard Stockton College
Pomona, N.J. 08240
(609) 6524556 FAX (609) 7485515
EMail: pete.straub@stockton.edu

Program Director (2001):
Denise Seliskar
Halophyte Biotechnology Center
700 Pilottown Rd.
University of Delaware
Lewes, DE 19958
(302) 6454366 FAX (302) 6454028
EMail: seliskar@udel.edu

PHYTOCHEMICAL SECTION
Chair (2001):
*James W. Wallace
Department of Biology
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC 38723
(704) 2277244 FAX (704) 2277647
EMail: wallacej@wcu.edu

Secretary and Program Organizer (2001):
Emanuel L. Johnson
USDA ARS WSL
Building 001, Room 329 BARCW
10300 Baltimore Ave.
Beltsville, MD 207052350
(301) 5045323 FAX (301) 5046491
Email eljohnsn@asrr.arsusda.gov.

TreasurerEditor (1997)**:
W. Dennis Clark
Department of Botany
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287
(602) 9654482 FAX (602) 9656899
EMail: atwdc@asuvm.inre.asu.edu

PTERIDOLOGICAL SECTION
Chair (2000):
W. Carl Taylor
Milwaukee Public Museum
800 West Wells Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233
(414) 2782760 FAX 2231396
Email: ct@mpm1.mpm.edu

SecretaryTreasurer (2001):
*Thomas A. Ranker
Department of EPO Biology
Campus Box 334
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309
(303) 4925074 FAX: (303) 4928699
Email: thomas.ranker@colorado.edu

SYSTEMATICS SECTION
Chair (2001):
*J. Mark Porter
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
1500 North College Avenue
Claremont, CA 91711
(909) 6258767 ext. 229 FAX (909) 6267670
EMail: j.mark.porter@cgu.edu

SecretaryTreasurer (1999):
Sterling C. Keeley
Department of Botany
University of Hawaii
3190 Maile Way
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 9563930 FAX (808) 9563923
EMail sterling@hawaii.edu

TEACHING SECTION
Chair (2000):
*Donald P. Buckley
Office of Instructional Technology
School of Health Sciences
Quinnipiac College
275 Mt. Carmel Ave.
Hamden, CT 065181940
(203) 2873467 FAX: (203) 2818706
EMail: Don.Buckley@quinnipiac.edu

Vice Chair (2000):
Henri Maurice
Barat CollegeBox 618
700 E Westleigh Rd
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 6046365 FAX (847) 6155000
EMail: botprof@aol.com

Secretary/Treasurer (1999):
Donald S. Galitz
Department of Botany/Biology
Stevens Hall, P.O. Box 5517
North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND 58103
(701) 2377226 FAX (701) 2377149

Program Coordinator (1999)
Rob Reinsvold
Department of Biological Sciences
501 20th Street
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, CO 80639
(970) 3512716 FAX (970) 3512335
EMail: rjreins@bentley.unco.edu

TROPICAL BIOLOGY SECTION
Chair (2001):
*Susanne Renner
Department of Biology
8001 Natural Bridge Rd.
University of MissouriSt. Louis
St. Louis, MO 631214499
FAX (314) 5166233
Email: biosrenn@admiral.umsl.edu

Program Chair and SecretaryTreasurer (2001):
Andrew Douglas
Biology Department
University of Mississippi
Email: adouglas@olemiss.edu

MIDCONTINENT SECTION
Chair (2002):
*Robert S. Wallace
Department of Botany
Bessey Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 500111020
(515) 2940367 FAX (515) 2941337
EMail: rwallace@iastate.edu

Vice Chair (2002):
Craig C. Freeman
Kansas Biological Survey
2041 Constant Avenue
Lawrence, KS 66047
(785) 8643453 FAX: (785) 8645093
EMail: cfreeman@ukans.edu

Secretary/Treasurer (2001):
Kenneth J. Freiley
Biology Department
University of Central Arkansas
Conway, AR 72035
(501) 4505926 FAX (501) 4505914
EMail: kennethf@cc1.vca.edu

Vice Secretary/Treasurer (2001):
Allan D. Nelson
Department of Biology
Science Building, Rm 226
Box T0100
Tarleton State University
Stephenville, TX 76402
(254) 9689159 FAX (254) 9689157
EMail: nelson@tarleton.edu

NORTHEASTERN SECTION
Chair (1996):
*Karl Anderson
Rancocas Nature Center
794 Rancocas Road
Mount Holly, NJ 08060
(609) 2612495

PACIFIC SECTION
Chair (1999):
Fred Rickson
Department of Botany
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 973312902
(503) 7375272 FAX (503) 7373573
EMail: ricksonf@bcc.orst.edu

SecretaryTreasurer (1999):
*David E. Bilderback
College of Arts and Sciences LA101
University of Montana
Missoula, MT 598121214
(406) 2432632 FAX (406) 2434076
EMail: bilderba@selway.umt.edu

SOUTHEASTERN SECTION
Chair (2000):
*Kathleen L. Hornberger
Department of Biology
Science Division
Widner University
Chester, PA 19013
EMail: hornberger@pop1.science.widener.edu

Activities Committee Chair (2002):
Mary A. McKenna
Department of Biology
St. Andrews College
Laurinburg, NC 28352
(919) 2763652 X358 FAX (919) 2775020
EMail:

SecretaryTreasurer (2002):
Larry Davenport
Department of Biology
Samford University
Birmingham, AL 35229
(205) 8702584 FAX (205) 8702479
EMail: ljdavenp@samford.edu

BSA Committees for 1999 2000
Standing Committees:

ANNUAL MEETING PROGRAM COMMITTEE
Jeffrey M. Osborn (2002) (Chair)
Program Organizer of each Section
Chair, Local Organizing Committee
Representatives of Other Societies meeting with BSA

ANNUAL MEETING COORDINATING COMMITTEE (3 members; 3 year terms) (new committee: 1999)
Wayne Elisens (2002), Chair
Peter Hoch (2002)
Barbara Schaal (2002)
Chris Haufler (2002)

ARCHIVES AND HISTORY COMMITTEE (2 members; 5 year terms)
Ronald Stuckey (2003) (Chair) 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Douglas Soltis (2001), President
Carol Baskin (2000), Past President
Patricia Gensel (2002), President Elect
Jeffrey Osborn (2002), Program Director
Scott Russell (2001), Council Representative
Pamela Soltis (2000), Secretary
Edward L. Schneider (2001), Treasurer

FINANCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (3 members; 3 year terms)
Harry T. Horner (2001), (Chair) Representing Doug Soltis, President, ex officio
Joseph Armstrong (2000)
Judy Jernstedt (2001)
Charles Daghlian (2001)
Edward Schneider (2001), Treasurer, ex officio
Edith Taylor (2002)

KARLING AWARD COMMITTEE (6 members; 3 year terms)
George Yatskievych (2000) (Chair)
Cynthia Jones (2000)
Kathleen Kron (2001)
Diane Greene (2001)
Carolyn Howes Keiffer (2001)
Jeffrey Osborn (2000)

MEMBERSHIP AND APPRAISAL COMMITTEE (5 members; 5 year terms)
Leo Bruederle (2000) (Chair)
David Giannasi (2001)
Kathleen Shea (2002)
Diane Marshall (2002)
Donald Hauber (2003)
Lyn Loveless (2004)

MERIT AWARDS COMMITTEE (3 members; 3 year terms)
John Doebley (2000) (Chair)
Douglas Soltis (2000), President, ex officio
Linda Graham (2001)
Maxine Watson (2002)

MOSELEY AWARD COMMITTEE (3 members; 3 year terms)
Larry Hufford (2000) (Chair)
Michael Frohlich (2001)
Bill Stein (2002)

PELTON AWARD COMMITTEE (3 members; 3 year terms)
Fred Sack (2000), Chair
Michael Christianson (2001)
Scott Russell (2002)
Darleen DeMason (2000), Immediate Past Secretary, ex officio
Lee Kass (2004)

COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES (6 appointed members; 3 year terms)
Patricia Gensel (2000), President Elect, Chair, ex officio
Cynthia Jones (2000)
Bijan Dehgan (2000)
Gar Rothwell (2001)
Richard McCourt (2001)
Linda Graham (2002)
Tom Ranker (2002)
Pamela Soltis (2000), Secretary, ex officio

CONSERVATION COMMITTEE (6 members; 3 year terms)
William Hahn (2001) (Chair)
Larry Zettler (2000)
Kaius Helenurm (2000)
Diane Elam (2001)
Dan Watts (2002)
Pati Vit (2002)

CORRESPONDING MEMBERS COMMITTEE (Past Presidents)
Carol C. Baskin (2002), ex officio
Nancy Dengler (2001), ex officio
Daniel Crawford (2000), ex officio

DARBAKER PRIZE COMMITTEE (3 members; 3 year terms)
Annette Coleman (2000) (Chair)
David Garbary (2001)
Louise Lewis (2002)

EDUCATION COMMITTEE (6 members; 3 year terms)
David W. Kramer (2001) (Chair)
Douglas Soltis (2000), President, ex officio
Donald S. Galitz, (1999), Secretary of the Teaching Section, ex officio
Pamela Soltis (2000), Secretary, ex officio
Marshall Sundberg (2004), Editor of the Plant Science Bulletin, ex officio
Chester Wilson (2000)
J.S. Shipman (2000)
Steve Rice (2001)
David Leutz (2002)
Rob Reinsvold (2002)

ELECTION COMMITTEE (3 members; 3 year terms)
Carol C. Baskin (2000), Past President, ex officio (Chair)
Pamela Soltis (2000), Secretary, ex officio
Darlene Southworth (2000)
John LaClaire (2000)
Gerald Gastony (2002)

ESAU AWARD COMMITTEE (3 members; 3 year terms) 

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE (5 members; 3 year terms) (new committee: 1999)
Judy Jernstedt (2002), Chair
Pam Diggle (2002)
Darleen Demason (2002)
Jonathan Wendel (2002)
Joe Leverich (2002)
Karl Niklas (2004), Editor, AJB ex officio
Marshall Sundberg (2004), Editor, PSB ex officio
Scott Russell, Webmaster, ex officio
Kimberly Hiser, Business Manager, ex officio

WEBPAGE COMMITTEE (5 members; 3 year terms) (new committee: 1998)
Scott Russell, Webmaster & Chair
Wayne Elisens (2000)
Chuck Daghlian (2001)
J. S. Shipman (2001)
Ross Koning (2002)
Steven J. Wolf (2002)
David W. Kramer (2001), Education Committee Chair, ex officio
Marshall Sundberg (2004), Editor, PSB ex officio
Karl Niklas (2004), Editor, AJB ex officio
Pamela Soltis (2000), Secretary, ex officio
Kimberly Hiser, Business Manager, ex officio

Ad Hoc Committees:

DEVELOPMENT AD HOC COMMITTEE
Judy Jernstedt, Chair
Joe Armstrong
Dan Crawfrod
John Herr
Kim Hiser
Ed Schneider

ENDOWMENT PRIORITIZATION AD HOC COMMITTEE
Nancy Dengler, Chair
David Baum
Chris Haufler
Patricia Holmgren
Ruth Stockey

PUBLICATIONS OF THE SOCIETY
American Journal of Botany
Karl Niklas, EditorinChief (2004)

Plant Science Bulletin
Marshall Sundberg, Editor (2004)

Editorial Committee for Volumes 45/46
P. Mick Richardson (2000)
Vicki Funk (2001)
Ann E. Antlfinger (2002)
Norman C. Ellstrand (2003)
James Mickle (2004)

Representatives to Various Organizations:

AAAS COUNCIL
Vacant

AIBS COUNCIL
Judith Verbeke (2001)

ASSOCIATION OF SYSTEMATICS COLLECTIONS
Laurence E. Skog (2003)

BIENNIAL INCORPORATION, STATE OF CONNECTICUT
Kent E. Holsinger (2000)

COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY PRESIDENTS (EACH PRESIDENTELECT)
Patricia Genzel (2000)

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL COMMISSION ON LIFE SCIENCES BOARD OF BASIC BIOLOGY
Pam Soltis (2000), Secretary, ex officio

News from the Committees:
Electronic American Journal of Botany

The electronic site of the American Journal of Botany is just one year old now. I think that it can be judged a success unequivocally. During the past year, there have been 681,310 hits to the site. The number of distinct files served has been 200,607. The number of unique hosts was 79,764. The amount of data down loaded: 16,892,223 KBytes (16.8 GB). There were 30,064 PDFs (reprints) downloaded from the site. The weekly stats are more meaningful for the number of distinct files and unique hosts (since there is no week to week memory of who logged in). Hits per week: 13,102. Distinct files served: 3,858 (a very good reason why we outsource this!) Unique hosts per week: 1,534 (this is a good estimate of the number of computers and thus users logging in). Each week approximately 324,850 KB of data were downloaded. The average number of PDF files downloaded per week is 578. We will soon be considering whether we should continue free access at the online site (currently to April 2001). Schools and academic use is high. The hits on the site are very responsive to school years.

Oregon Convention Center

610 August, 2000 Portland, OR

Symposia and Symposium

Organizers

PASTPRESIDENT'S SYMPOSIUM

"New Frontiers in Botany" (halfday; Monday, 810 am). Organizer: Carol C. Baskin, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 405060225. Tele: (606) 2578770, Fax: (606) 2571717, Email: <ccbask0@pop.uky.edu>.

DEVELOPMENTAL AND STRUCTURAL SECTION

„Open Space" (halfday). Organizer: Bruce Kirchoff, Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, P.O. Box 26174, Greensboro, NC 274021674. Tele: (336) 3345391 (ext. 37), Email: <kirchoff@uncg.edu>.

HISTORICAL SECTION

„Botany in the Age of Mendel: A Symposium in Honor of the Centennial of the Rediscovery of Mendel, and the 50th Year Anniversary of the Publication of G. L. Stebbins' Variation and Evolution in Plants" (halfday). Organizer: Vassiliki Betty Smocovitis, Department of History, 4131 Turlington Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 326117320. Tele: (352) 3920271, Fax: (352) 3926927, Email: <bsmocovi@history.ufl.edu>.

PTERIDOLOGY SECTIONAMERICAN FERN SOCIETY (AFS)

„Biology and Conservation of the Ophioglossaceae" (fullday). Organizers: Cindy JohnsonGroh, Department of Biology, GustavusAdolphus College, 800 West College Ave., St. Peter, MN 560821498. Tele: (507) 9337043, Fax: (507) 9336285, Email: <cjgroh@gac.edu>, Donald R. Farrar, Department of Botany, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011. Tele: (515) 2944846, Fax: (515) 2941337, Email: <dfarrar@iastate.edu> & Warren D. Hauk, Department of Biology, Denison University, Granville, OH 43023. Email:
<Hauk@cc.denison.edu>.

SYSTEMATICS SECTIONASPT

„Historical biogeography of the Northern Hemisphere" (halfday). Organizers: Paul S. Manos, Department of Botany, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC 277080338. Tele: (919) 6607358, Fax: (919) 6607293, Email: <pmanos@duke.edu> & Michael J. Donoghue, Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138. Tele: (617) 4963374, Fax: (617) 4959484, Email: <mdonoghue@oeb.harvard.edu>

SYSTEMATICS SECTIONASPTIAPT

„New frontiers in plant systematics The next 50 years" (halfday). Organizers: Tod Stuessy, Institut für Botanik, Universität Wien, Rennweg 14, Vienna, A1030, Austria. Tele: 431427754140, Fax: 43142779541, Email: <tod.stuessy@univie.ac.at> & Wayne Elisens, Department of Botany & Microbiology, 770 Van Vleet Oval, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019. Tele: (405) 3255923, Fax: (405) 3257619, Email: <elisens@ou.edu>

SEVERAL BSA SECTIONSASPTABLSAFS

„Scientific outreach for the next millennium" (halfday). Organizer: Andrea D. Wolfe, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 1735 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 432101293. Tele: (614) 2920267, Fax: (614) 2922030, Email: <wolfe.205@osu.edu>.

TEACHING SECTION

„Using Educational Technology to Foster Learning Centered Pedagogies" (halfday). Organizers: Donald P. Buckley, Office of Instructional Technology, School of Health Sciences, Quinnipiac College, 275 Mt. Carmel Ave., Hamden, CT 065181940. Tele: (203), 2873467, Fax: (203) 2818706, Email: <Don.Buckley@quinnipiac.edu> & David W. Kramer, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University at Mansfield, 1680 University Dr., Mansfield, OH 449061547. Tele: (419) 7554344, Fax: (419) 7554367, Email: <kramer.8@osu.edu>. 

The BSA ad hoc committee on expenditure of the 1999-2000 interest from the BSA endowment funds is seeking suggestions from the BSA membership on how this year's amount of $23,000 might best be spent.

The Endowment Fund guidelines from the BSA Financial Advisory Committee are: "The purpose of the Endowment Fund is to increase the monetary assets of the Society in order to provide income to fund major initiatives, travel grants, scholarships, and other activities

that enhance the effectiveness of the Society to fulfull its Mission" Our mission statement (from Article 1 of the bylaws) is: "to sustain and provide improved formal and informal education about plants; to encourage basic plant research; provide expertise, direction, and position statements concerning plants and ecosystems; foster

communication within the professional botanical community and between botanists and the rest of humankind through publications, meetings, and committees."

The ad hoc committee invites all members of the BSA to make recommendations regarding the expenditure of this year's interest (keeping the above guidelines in mind!). The committee will then rank these and make our recommendations to the BSA Executive Committee by March 1, 2000. Please forward your suggestions to the chair of the committee, Nancy Dengler (dnelger@botany.utoronto.ca) by February 1, 2000.

News from the Sections:

Including Discussion in the Annual Meetings Open Space at BSA August 2000

The Developmental-Structural section is beginning to experiment with a new symposium format at this year's meeting. Open Space is a format that allows the participants to determine the content and organize the sessions on the day of the event (Owen 1997). As such, Open Space allows a group to deal with the topics that are new, or which were not recognized as important prior to the start of the conference.

The impulse for Open Space came from the observation that the most valuable parts of a conference are the informal meetings that take place during coffee and meal breaks. During these times participants meet old friends, discusses important issues, and makes plans for the coming year. Open Space is designed around the idea of a structured coffee break.

Open Space begins in a room set aside as The Marketplace. A facilitator gives a brief introduction of the concept of Open Space and previews the activities to follow. After the introduction, participants are asked to come forward to suggest topics for discussion or presentation. Each topic becomes one of the sessions offered during the symposium. The person who suggests a topic becomes that session's convener. The convener is responsible for the session. He may lead a discussion, present a lecture, or simply open the floor to contributions from the people in attendance.

After presenting their idea for a session, the conveners post their topics to a time/room grid, thus scheduling it for later in the symposium. Participants continue to come forward until the grid is filled, or there are no more suggestions from the floor.

The main duties of the session conveners are to start the session and to assure that a record is kept of any discussions. Taking notes can be especially important because it is a way to share the discussion with participants in other sessions. The conveners prepare the notes in a legible form and post or distribute them in The Marketplace. Other people can then read the notes and add their own comments. In this way, everyone receives something from every session, whether they attended it or not.

The Marketplace plays a special role in Open Space. This is the "coffee break" room. Drinks and snacks are continuously available there. The availability of food and drinks allows participants to visit The Marketplace whenever they wish. This is particularly important because of the Law of Two Feet. The Law of Two Feet is the only rule of Open Space. It states, "If you find yourself in a session for which you have little or no interest, then it is acceptable to leave." If a session does not "speak to you," you can leave. When you leave you can join a concurrent session, or return to The Marketplace. By doing this you remain an active participant in Open Space. You may have something to contribute to a concurrent session based on your experience in the one you left, or you may have a good

At the end of the event everyone meets for a final short session in The Marketplace to exchange ideas. This is NOT a time for the coordinators to report on their sessions. This is done by way of the notes that are distributed to participants. Rather it is a time when anyone can bring up an issue or a question, a time when the group begins to chart a path toward the next meeting.

I hope you will join us on Wednesday, August 9 when we gather in Open Space to discuss the latest Botanical Research!

Owen, Harrison 1997. Open Space Technology: A User's Guide. 2nd edition. BerrettKoehler

-Bruce Kirchoff. Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, P.O. Box 26174, Greensboro, NC 274021674. 3363345391 ext. 37. kirchoff@uncg.edu
 

Announcements
In Memoriam:

Joseph Andorfer Ewan, 1909-1999

Joseph Andorfer Ewan, after a long and productive career as researcher, author, botany professor, and bibliophile, died peacefully, with his wife Nesta Dunn Ewan at his side, on Sunday, December 5, 1999. He was 90 years old.

Joe was Professor Emeritus at Tulane University, where he had taught botany and the history of natural history from 1947 to 1977. Throughout his life, he collected books on the history of natural history. He sold his collection of more than 5,000 volumes, many of them rare and valuable, to the Missouri Botanical Garden in 1986, along with his professional papers. He and Nesta,
who by then had become his professional assistant, moved to St. Louis to continue their research and publication. They moved back to Louisiana to be close to family in 1997, after Joe had a stroke.

Joe held many honors, including Guggenheim Fellow and Smithsonian Regents' Fellow; Founders' Medalist of the Society for the History of Natural History; Botanical Society of America Award; and the Missouri Botanical Garden's highest honor, the Henry Shaw Medal. He held honorary doctorates from the College of William and Mary and Tulane University. Joe, assisted by Nesta, authored more than 400 books, essays, articles, and reviews, which are listed in Ewaniana: the writings of Joe and Nesta Ewan. A second edition of Ewaniana is planned.

Perhaps one of Joe's greatest accomplishments was that of being a mentor to those who were curious about the natural world. He would treat the most innocent inquiry as a seed to be nurtured, so that with one question, the questioner was led through many new doors of knowledge. Joe encouraged others to reach new heights, perhaps inspiring a student to get more education; or infusing a floundering career with new meaning; or providing the spark of interest that would spur his protégé on to investigate a subject until it turned into a book.

In addition to Nesta, Joe is survived by his daughters Kathleen Harris, Dorothy Nemecek, and Marjorie Ewan; five grandchildren; and countless friends. True to character and clear of mind until the very end, among Joe's last words were "Tell everybody good-bye." While we mourn his death, all of us who knew Joe Ewan can be grateful we had his presence in our lives for as long as we did.

-Connie Wolf, Missouri Botanical Garden
 

William Campbell Dickison, 1941-1999

William C. Dickison died after a long battle with bone marrow cancer on November 22, 1999. He was born on March 12, 1941 in Jamaica, New York and grew up in Illinois. Bill received a B. S. in
Education in 1962 from Western Illinois University at Macomb, an M. A. in Botany in 1964 from Indiana University and his PhD. from Indiana in 1966. Bill studied under the direction of Prof. James E. Canright, specializing in morphology and anatomy 

Bill was dedicated and conscientious in his teaching, research, and service to the department , university and botanical community. He taught such botany courses as plant morphology, plant diversity, plant anatomy, and angiosperm phylogeny, and in later years, introductory biology. Bill trained several M. .A. (thesis degree at UNC) students and PhD.'s, some of whom are themselves in academics and others who work in the public sector. In all cases, he was exceptionally well organized, always prepared, and maintained high standards for students and himself. Both in teaching and research, Bill possessed the gift of grasping the essence of a topic or concept, and then conveying it effectively.

Bill was a member of the Botanical Society of America, International Association of Plant Taxonomists, International Association of Wood Anatomists, Sigma Xi, The Association for Tropical Biology, The Torrey Botanical Club, and The American Society of Plant Taxonomists. He also belonged to the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society, serving as Secretary-Treasurer (1972-1975) and Editor of the Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society (1975-1981). He helped restructure the council of the International Association of Wood Anatomists in 1972. He was an invited guest professor at the Botanische Garten und Institut für Systematic Botanik at the University of Zürich, Switzerland in 1982. He co-organized, with Richard A. White, an international symposium dealing with contemporary problems in plant anatomy in 1983, and they edited a volume of papers from this, entitled Contemporary Problems in Plant Anatomy, published in 1984. For the past few years, he has served as editor for the multi-volume series Anatomy of the Dicotyledons, 2^nd edition.

Bill systematically studied the wood, flowers, leaves, and pollen of families of angiosperms such as Dilleniaceae, Connaraceae, Cunoniaceae, Theaceae, Clethraceae, Ebenaceae, etc in order to better work out their phylogeny, evolution
ary patterns, and response to diverse environments. His 1975 paper on vegetative anatomy in the "Bases of Angiosperm Phylogeny" volume of the Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden is a major contribution, showing the utility of anatomy in solving problems of angiosperm evolution. More recently, some of his students have coupled such morphological work with molecular phylogenetic analysis. His 85 + publications on the structure of woody flowering plants provide basic information about a large number of angiosperm families. Bill delved into ecological plant anatomy a bit, being among the first to point out the need for examining more than one anatomical feature of a plant in order to deduce modifications reflecting environmental conditions. He presented many invited talks at national and international meetings that dealt with angiosperm phylogeny or the systematics of specific groups of flowering plants (Leguminosae, Hammamelidae). At the time of his death, Bill had just completed a book manuscript entitled "Integrative Plant Anatomy" which now is in production with Harcourt/Academic Press and should be published this year.

Bill is survived by his wife of 36 years, Marlene, a son, Christopher and wife Cheryl, three grandchildren, his two brothers and one sister. Donations in his memory can be made to the North Carolina Botanical Garden, CB# 3375, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N. C. 27599-3375.

- Patricia G. Gensel, University of North Carolina

Jane Gray, 1929-2000

Jane Gray was born in Omaha, Nebraska on April 19, 1929. She was the only child of Muriel Barrett Gray and Col. Earnest Gray, a West Point graduate. She spent much of her youth on Long Island while her father was in charge of the Port of New York for the Quartermaster Corps during World War II. Gray received her B.S. degree from Radcliffe College in 1951. While at Radcliffe/Harvard she studied under Elso Barghoon who interested her in palynology and paleobotany. She began her graduate studies at the University of Illinois and while there applied for and received a National Science Foundation fellowship to study palynology in Copenhagen under Johs. Iversen. Following on her work in Copenhagen Gray returned to America and entered graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley where she studied under Ralph Chaney. She received her Ph.D. from UC-Berkeley in 1958. Her dissertation 

Gray is best known for her work on the early evolution of land plants. In a series of papers published from the 1970s to the 1990s she overturned a prevailing paradigm regarding the origin of the first land plants. Gray showed that land plants, embryophtes, first appeared in the Middle Ordovician 40 millions years earlier than had been previously accepted. Her extensive work on Ordovcian marine deposits from around the world established beyond a doubt that resistant-walled spores that could not be attributed to algae, were geographically widespread, and occurred in large numbers at this time.

Further, Gray's work changed our concept of the nature of the earliest plants. Previous authorities had thought that vascular plants preceded bryophytes, but Gray mounted convincing arguments that bryophytes were first. Evidence that she cited for this conjecture included comparative studies of fossil spores and those of modern bryophytes, and ecophysiological data. Subsequently, more detailed comparative analyses and molecular phylogenetic data have substantiated Gray's views.

At the time of her death Gray was investigating the tenor of atmospheric carbon dioxide from the Cambrian to the present. Her compilation and correlation of a massive amount of botanical and geologic data will substantively revise previous estimates of the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This work will be completed by her colleagues. She was also working on a groundbreaking account of the evidence for a widespread
Precambrian nonmarine biota, chiefly at the bacterial level.

Jane Gray was known for her passionate writing style, extraordinary attention to detail, and command of the literature. Her interests extended to evolutionary process, and the effects of physical geological factors and paleoclimatology on ancient floristic communities. Because her ideas were ahead of her time and iconoclastic, Jane Gray encountered considerable resistance among her scientific colleagues. But she persisted, accumulating data that could not be ignored. Because it is classic and pathbreaking, her work will continue to be cited in future books and articles on early plant evolution.

Jane Gray taught and mentored many students who found her passion for science inspiring. Her enthusiasm encouraged many to forge ahead in their respective areas. Her death on January 9, 2000 of cancer deprives the scientific community of a highly original, innovative worker who undoubtedly would have provided even more significant contributions had time permitted. She will be sorely missed by many colleagues, students, and friends.

-Arthur J. Boucot, Oregon State University

-Linda Graham, University of Wisconsin

-Patricia Sanford, University of Wisconsin

G. Ledyard Stebbins Jr., 1906-2000

Dr. G. Ledyard Stebbins Jr., Professor Emeritus of Genetics at UC Davis, died January 19^th, 2000 at his home in Davis, California. He was 94.

At Ledyard's memorial service at UC Davis there were many stories about his driving and singleness of purpose when in the field. There was the story about his driving toward an interesting plant and straight into a four foot ditch, an event he barely noted, as he got out of the car and continued to walk straight on toward the plant of interest. There were several stories about how fast he walked, striding toward the summits of mountains, refusing help, even as his health declined in later years. He was an avid botanist and plant collector until he lost his sight; in looking through his things, we found his last plant collections, still in his press _ oaks collected in
1994. 

In looking through Ledyard's plant collections, one notes the great breadth of his interest _ floras of areas near Davis and the Sierra Nevada of California, the systematics of Navarettia, Antennaria and, of course, grasses. Some of Ledyard 's last articles were in the publication "Grasslands", the newsletter of the California Native Grass Association. In one issue (April, 1997), there is a useful compilation of many of the articles written by Ledyard on the Poaceae. It is a great resource for those needing exact citations for his early publications on grasses.

Ledyard asked that memorial contributions in his name be sent to the UC Davis Herbarium. The Herbarium houses thousands of Stebbins collections, including all of his vouchers from Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve. For his 90th birthday, Ledyard had contributions sent to the UC Davis Herbarium so that we could begin administering a student grant in his name (part of our larger student grant program). These grants are to be used for field botany projects that result in specimens that will be deposited in the UC Davis Herbarium. Any monetary contributions made to the Herbarium in Ledyard's name will be used to continue the G. Ledyard Stebbins student grant program. For more information, please contact me at eadean@ucdavis.edu.

-Ellen Dean, University of California-Davis

ART KRUCKEBERG REMINISCES ABOUT

G. LEDYARD STEBBINS

From: Arthur Kruckeberg <ark@u.washington.edu>

During my graduate days at UC Berkeley, Stebbins became a focal point of my intellectual growth. I took his course in Evolutionary Mechanisms around l948, at the time he was writing his seminal book, "Variation and Evolution in Plants" (Columbia Univ. Press, l950). So he was in top form, delivering exciting lectures, coupled with stage antics to boot: stumbling off the podium and making cartoon animals on the blackboard.

Stebbins was on my PhD thesis committee and was intrigued with my research on edaphic races of common plants on serpentine soils. But he fell asleep during my orals, not an uncommon event for him. Once, at a California Botanical Society meeting, he introduced the famous palaeo

Warren H. Wagner, Jr., 1911-2000

Professor Warren H. Wagner, Jr. (known affectionately to all as Herb) died on 8 January 2000; he was in his eightieth year. He was probably the best-known botanist ever to work at the University of Michigan. After Navy service in the Pacific during World War II, Wagner did his Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley, spent one year at Harvard as an instructor, and came to the University of Michigan as Assistant Professor of Botany in 1951. His primary research focus was the systematics, hybridization, evolution, and evolutionary history of ferns and fernlike plants, but his interests went far beyond ferns, to include (among many other things) oaks and other difficult groups of flowering plants, butterflies, and minerals. His energy was boundless and his enthusiasm famously contagious, which made him one of the most successful teachers of both undergraduates and graduate students in the University. After retirement he continued to participate in the teaching of courses in plant systematics in both Biology and Natural Resources; indeed, he taught more in retirement than many younger colleagues ever do. He chaired or co-chaired 45 doctoral committees and served as a member of over 240 graduate committees, certainly a record in Biology if not in the University. He served a term as director of the Matthaei Botanical Garden from 1966 to 1971, but administration was never his strong suit. He had more fun stirring things up and getting people excited than smoothing over rough places and finding consensus solu

Wagner's success and influence were widely recognized during his life. His many honors included election to the National Academy of Sciences in 1985 and the Asa Gray Award from the American Society of Plant Taxonomists in 1990, and he served as president of seven professional societies [including the Botanical Society of America, 1977]. He was in wide demand as a speaker to groups of professional botanists and amateurs, and after the talk he was likely to sit down at a piano and entertain the astonished guests with lively honky-tonk playing. He is survived by his wife, Florence, their children Margaret and Warren, both of Ann Arbor, and two grandsons.

-William R. Anderson, University of Michigan
Personalia
Dr Keith Ferguson

Dr Keith Ferguson recently retired as Deputy Keeper of the Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew was appointed an Officer of the British Empire -OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 1999 for services to Palynology,Botany and the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew" The Investiture carried out by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace took place in late October 1999.

Dr. Shirley Tucker wins the University of Minnesota's Outstanding Achievement Award.

When Shirley Tucker left the University of CaliforniaDavis in 1956 armed with a Ph.D. in botany, she ran headlong into the barriers then facing women in science. For 10 years, she was able to find only temporary teaching positions with "no potential to gain university status or research funding," says University of Minnesota plant biology associate professor Iris Charvat. That, Charvat believes, is the root of Tucker's commitment to encouraging students in botany. „She frequently goes out of her way to give a junior scientist or student a rewarding experience," says Charvat, „and she maintains a high level of interest throughout their career."

Tucker's interest in nurturing the next generation of plant biologistsalong with her internationally known research in floral anatomy and morphology, plant taxonomy, and lichenologyled the University of Minnesota to recognize her with an Outstanding Achievement Award in September. The award is the highest the University gra