Chicagoans will be the first to tell you that the Windy City is one of the world’s most cosmo-politan metropolitan areas and a premier global location—yet it has a great hometown feeling. And this summer it will be the site of a historic event when it hosts the annual meeting of four professional scientific societies.

From July 7 to 11, 2007, more than 2,000 plant scientists will gather at the Chicago Hilton Hotel. Members of the American Fern Society, American Society of Plant Biologists, American Society of Plant Taxonomists, and Botanical Society of America will cohost their annual meetings, offering attendees more networking across disciplines, more workshops, more symposia, and plenty of breakthrough science.

The schedule of the Joint Congress will combine scientific sessions and events from all four societies. Attendees will be able to participate in all events. This is a unique opportunity for ASPB attendees to participate in events offered by the other societies and to share plant science in many research areas.

The meeting will feature special joint sessions, mini- and major symposia, workshops, exhibits, and poster sessions, as well as field trips and educational forums for researchers and educators who wish to make their science accessible for students at all levels.

Undergraduate Networking Poster Session
(Saturday afternoon)
Undergraduate attendees are encouraged to display their posters. Students will be free to mingle with each other, society leaders, and other meeting participants to share their research, network, and learn how to get the most out of the meeting. After this event, students may take their posters to the main poster area marked for undergraduate posters.


Education Forum
(Saturday)
ASPB members are invited to participate in the annual Education Forum that BSA organizes each year as part of its annual meeting.


Perspectives of Science Leaders
(Saturday evening)
Jim Collins, associate director for biology at the National Science Foudation, will present.


Career Workshops I & II
(Saturday evening)
This year’s Workshop I (Where Are the Jobs?) will feature career opportunities outside academia. Meanwhile, Workshop II (Getting the Most Out of Your Postdoc Experience) will offer perspectives on finding the “right” postdoc position and using it to advance your career.


Small Colleges/PUI Networking Breakfast
(Sunday morning)
This annual event brings scientists from primarily undergraduate institutions together to network, explore new opportunities, and share strategies for teaching and conducting research in plant biology.


Minority Affairs Committee–Sponsored Symposium
(Sunday afternoon)
Entitled Plants and Human Nutrition, this year’s MAC symposium will feature a series of presentations by speakers from diverse backgrounds on the ways in which we use plants for food.


Botany Plenary Speaker
(Sunday evening)
Judge John E. Jones III presided in 2005 over the landmark case of Kitzmiller v. Dover School District. He held that it was unconstitutional to teach Intelligent Design within a public school science curriculum.


All-Society Opening Mixer
(Sunday evening)
Open to all meeting registrants, this welcoming event in the Exhibit Hall is a perfect way to reconnect with old friends, meet new people, and network with other meeting participants.


USDA Reception
All employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture are invited to attend this annual reception. Enjoy the opportunity to share a beverage and mingle with this diverse group.


Digital Art Workshops
In this age of electronic content, submitting and publishing papers has never been faster or more convenient. However, constantly changing information, software, and file formats make the preparation of digital images challenging. Three workshops—one by BSA and two by ASPB—will be held this year.


Women in Plant Biology Committee–Sponsored Speaker and Luncheon (Monday afternoon)
SPEAKER:
Jo Handelsman
The Women Don’t Need Fixing: The Role of Institutions in Advancing the Participation of Women in Science


Exclusive Poster and Exhibit Sessions
(Monday evening, Tuesday afternoon)
Visit exhibitors and view posters while enjoying snacks and beverages during these exclusive sessions.


Field Trips
(Saturday, Sunday, and Thursday, July 12)
Exciting outings are planned to showcase the plant science offerings of Chicago and the northern Illinois area.



Plant Biology in Africa
ORGANIZER:
Debby Delmer, University of California, Davis
SPEAKERS:
Mande Semon, The Evolutionary History of the African Rice Oryza glaberrima
Cosmos Magorokosho, Diversity and Origins of African Maizes
James Ogwang, Recent Advances in Biological Control in Uganda
Dionne Shepherd and Betty Owor, Diversity of Maize Streak Virus and Transgenic Resistance to MSV in Maize


Manipulation of Host Signaling by Pathogens
ORGANIZER:
Barbara Kunkel, Washington University
SPEAKERS:
Shauna Somerville, Carnegie Institution
Eric L. Davis, North Carolina State University
Sheng Yang He, Michigan State University


Evolutionary Development
Michael Zanis, Purdue University


Charles Albert Shull & Stephen Hales Prize Awardee Symposium
Xuemei Chen, University of California, Riverside
Ken Keegstra, Michigan State University


ASPB President’s Symposium
ORGANIZER:
Rick Amasino, University of Wisconsin
SPEAKERS:
Kirsten Bomblies—When Good Genes Behave Badly: Hybrid Incompatibility in Arabidopsis thaliana
Kathy Barton, The Role of HD-ZIPIII/LITTLE ZIPPER Interactions in the Establishment of Leaf Polarity
Jorge Dubcovsky, The Vernalization Pathway in the Temperate Cereals
Harry Klee, Control of Ethylene-Mediated Developmental Processes by Receptor Turnover


There’s a lot you won’t want to miss at the 2007 Joint Congress. As Om Parkash Dhankher (assistant professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst) said of Plant Biology 2006, “Here we can see that—WOW!—we are all doing great science!”

For more details and updates, see
http://www.aspb.org/meetings/pb-2007/.