PRESIDENT'S LETTER

SPRINGing into Action

Mary Lou Guerinot

Spring is often thought of as a time of renewal and new beginnings. In this letter I’d like to discuss three examples of beginnings and renewals at ASPB.

First, I am happy to report that our search for an executive director has successfully concluded with the hiring of Dr. Crispin Taylor. Crispin brings a unique combination of leadership, management, and publishing skills to the executive directorship. Although Crispin’s appointment represents a new beginning, it also represents a renewal of a long association of Crispin with ASPB. Many of you may remember him from his days as the news and reviews editor for The Plant Cell and later the journal’s managing editor, before he assumed his current position at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s NextWave. He is a card-carrying plant biologist, having completed his graduate training at the Michigan State University–Department of Energy Plant Research Lab under the direction of Pam Green and his postdoctoral research at the University of North Carolina with Ralph Quatrano. We will introduce Crispin more fully in the next issue of the ASPB News, so stay tuned. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the search committee for all their hard work, and I look forward to working with Crispin, who assumes his new duties April 13.

As Crispin prepares to take the reins at ASPB headquarters, Natasha Raikhel has announced her intention to step down as editor-in-chief of Plant Physiology when her term ends in June 2005. Thus, we are approaching a time of renewal both for Natasha and for Plant Physiology. Natasha has worked tirelessly to ensure Plant Physiology’s place as one of the premier journals devoted to the publication of advances in plant science. She has partnered with members of the editorial board to introduce a number of exciting new features to the journal; it is no surprise that the journal’s impact factor has risen significantly. A search is now under way for her successor; the full call for applications and nominations appears in this issue of the newsletter, as well as in the April and May issues of Plant Physiology and The Plant Cell. Please take a moment to reflect on where you would like to see Plant Physiology going in the next five years and help us identify the best person to take us there. We welcome (indeed, we actively solicit) nominations from the membership.

Finally, we are also approaching a time of renewal for the Society as a whole. I am hoping that the upcoming presidential election in the United States has everyone thinking “my vote does count”—remember what happened in Florida? You, the membership, have a critical role to play in the governance of your Society. Help keep ASPB strong and make your vote count by participating in ASPB elections. Ballots will be available online or mailed to you in late April. I want to encourage everyone to get involved and VOTE.

Still undecided about whether to attend the annual Plant Biology meeting in Orlando this summer? I can assure you that the Program Committee has put together an exciting set of sessions covering the breadth of plant biology. It is not too late to submit an abstract and register for the meeting. The searchable Plant Biology 2004 abstracts will be online by late April. I hope to see you July 24–28 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort & Convention Center, Orlando, Florida.

Mary Lou Guerinot
guerinot@dartmouth.edu