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PRESIDENT'S
LETTER
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| Rob
McClung |
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A
Time of Transition
We in the plant science
community face significant challenges. Paramount is the immense challenge
of increasing food production to sustain an expanding population on a
declining resource of arable land that is becoming progressively degraded.
There is the additional opportunity to generate biofuels to lessen our
dependence on oil and gas while simultaneously reducing the generation
of greenhouse gases. In these challenges lie tremendous opportunities
to contribute to human welfare while simultaneously indulging ourselves
in our passion for science. It is hard to imagine a better career!
Autumn is an especially
wonderful time to be a plant biologist in New England. Leaf-peepers abound.
We had good rain and a warm summer, so this year’s fall foliage display
is quite spectacular. There has been no frost yet in my garden, so fresh
herbs and some late season dahlias, nasturtiums, and tomatoes continue
to brighten my day. However, there is snow in the forecast for the mountaintops,
and we will have transitioned to the new season by the time you read these
words.
Autumn is also a time
of transition for ASPB, as October 1 marks the changing of the guard with
newly appointed committee members and newly elected officers assuming
their posts. One of my major tasks this past year was to coordinate the
filling of committee memberships, and I was very pleasantly surprised
at not just the willingness but the actual eagerness of so many of you
to generously give your time and energy to the Society. The Society is
in good hands—yours. Thank you!
ASPB is probably best
known as a publisher. The Plant Cell and Plant Physiology
remain the two most highly cited journals in the plant world, and they
have well-deserved reputations for excellence and innovation. The past
few years have seen considerable change. We have introduced a series of
ethical standards addressing all aspects of scientific publishing (see
http://www.aspb.org/publications/ethics.cfm). The maintenance of high
ethical standards is not a new problem: Pliny the Elder wrote, “In
comparing various authors with one another, I have discovered that some
of the gravest and latest writers have transcribed, word for word, from
former works, without making acknowledgment” (Naturalis Historia,
Book I, Dedication, sec. 22, AD77; an English translation of this
work, based on the 1855 translation by John Bostock & H. T. Riley
and published by Taylor & Francis, London, is available online at
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Plin.+Nat.+toc).
New technologies make it increasingly easy to transgress. We are a society
that values education, and our response has been to educate our members
and authors. Our goal has been to make our authors and members aware of
acceptable standards and to work with them to achieve these standards.
As scientists, we
wish to disseminate our work broadly and without restriction. To this
end, we participate in AGORA, HINARI, and OARE, a series of consortia
of academic publishers that provide free or very low cost online access
to major journals to public institutions in eligible developing countries
(see the links at http://www.plantcell.org/
and http://www.plantphysiol.org/).
In addition, we have sponsored a substantial expansion of open access
content in Plant Physiology, from about 13% in 2006 to more than
70% so far in 2007.
This autumn is a time
of transition at The Plant Cell, with the editorship about to shift
from Rich Jorgensen to Cathie Martin at year’s end. I want to thank
Rich for his energetic and thoughtful years at the helm and to welcome
Cathie and wish her a successful and fulfilling tenure.
ASPB is a truly international
society, with about 40% of its members from outside the USA. That’s
a lot, eh? One manifestation of the Society’s engagement of global
issues is our upcoming specialty symposium, the Pan American Congress
Plant and BioEnergy Symposium to be held in late June, immediately preceding
our annual meeting, Plant Biology 2008. Both meetings will be held in
Mérida, Mexico. Registration for both meetings opens in December,
and more information is available at http://www.aspb.org/meetings/2008/.
I hope to see many of you in Mérida!
Last year at this
time Rick Amasino described a new initiative, the ASPB Diversity Bank.
The ASPB Minority Affairs Committee established the Diversity Bank as
a web-based resource to facilitate the connections that will expose students
to plant research and to foster networking between faculty at minority
and non-minority institutions. Individuals can post a seminar they would
be willing to present, and then faculty interested in identifying speakers
can peruse the list of offered topics and speakers and make contact with
the potential speaker. When I first heard about this at a Minority Affairs
Committee meeting, I immediately resolved that I should sign up. Although
my spirit was willing, the flesh was weak, and I put it off again and
again. Rereading Rick’s newsletter article from last year finally
provided the catalyst I needed. I hope that some of you reading this article
will similarly be prompted to finally register your seminar or your SURF
program. Others among you may finally be prompted to log on and see what
is available. The Diversity Bank is a good idea, and we would like to
see it used more. As Rick noted, this effort is broader than simply recruiting
minority students to plant biology. Of course that is a valid goal (demographic
projections argue it is essential!), and ASPB devotes considerable energy
to it. But regardless of whether the student ultimately chooses a career
in plant biology, there is tremendous value in exposing students to the
scientific process, be it through a talk or with a SURF lab experience.
Increasing scientific literacy among those not in science careers is a
critical element in nurturing societal support for science. I urge you
to visit the site at http://www.aspb.org/diversitybank.
It is traditional
for an incoming president to acknowledge the Society’s staff. Such
thanks might seem pro forma, but I could hardly be more sincere. Their
efforts are exemplary. I have worked with many of them over the years,
and these interactions have provided many rewards. I will not attempt
to single out any individuals in this space. Let me simply say that I
am repeatedly delighted by their hard work and dedication and by their
flexibility and creativity. We have one heck of a team!
Finally, I want especially
to thank Mike Thomashow, who has now completed his three-year rotation
through the presidency at ASPB. He has been an articulate and powerful
advocate of the Society’s goals, not to mention a debonair and piratical
dancer! I’m sure he will enjoy the ability to refocus on the PRL
and his lab. I want to welcome our president-elect, Sally Assmann. I very
much look forward to working with her and continuing to work with Rick
Amasino, immediate past president, and to working with you, the membership,
and with our staff in Rockville on the many issues currently facing ASPB.
Rob McClung
c.robertson.mcclung@dartmouth.edu
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