NEWS RELEASE
October 16, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Brian Hyps
Phone (301)251-0560 ext. 114
Fax (301) 279-2996
Email bhyps@aspb.org

Duke University Professor and Vice Provost Siedow Chairs American Society of Plant Biologists Education Foundation

ROCKVILLE, MD - October 24, 2006: Duke University Professor Jim Siedow has been appointed Chair of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) Education Foundation Board. Dr. Siedow, a biology professor and Vice Provost for Research at Duke University, accepted a three-year term appointment beginning October 1, 2006.

The Education Foundation, established in 1995, supports education and outreach activities that advance the knowledge of and appreciation for basic concepts and contributions of plant biology. Among the foundation's goals are promoting an understanding of the role plant science plays in developing new medicines, providing additional food supplies for the increasing world population, and curbing environmental changes caused by global warming.

"I am honored and pleased to have been appointed Chair of the Board of Directors for the ASPB Education Foundation," he said. "I believe the Foundation is a great untapped resource that will facilitate the Society's efforts to create broader public awareness of the benefits of plant science."

Siedow's contributions to the field of plant biology over the past three decades are far-reaching. He has published more than 100 papers and has been a guest speaker at more than 30 national and international conferences. Among his professional recognitions, he has been elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, won a Distinguished Teaching Award at Trinity College, and was chosen for senior faculty fellowship at the University of Sussex in England.

Siedow has been an ASPB leader since 1989 when he began as secretary and later became president and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Presently, he is a member of 11 boards within the professional biological community.

"Jim's vision, creativity, and energy are bound to help propel the ASPB Education Foundation into new and exciting directions," said ASPB Executive Director Crispin Taylor.

ASPB is a non-profit science society of 5,000 members from the U.S. and nearly 60 other nations. The Society publishes two of the most frequently cited plant science journals: The Plant Cell and Plant Physiology. ASPB, founded in 1924, is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.

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