ASPT CURATORS MEETING 2024

ASPT CURATORS MEETING 2024

Theme Success Stories: Maintaining and Advancing Herbaria in the 21st Century

Coupling Herbarium Specimens And Machine Learning To Introduce The Next Generation To Plant Morphology
Richard Hodel - National Museum of Natural History

Updates From The Fresno State Herbarium
Katherine Waselkov - California State University, Fresno

Perseverance, Collaboration, And Outreach To Advance A Borderland Herbarium (UTEP)
Michael Moody and Vicky Zhuang - University of Texas at El Paso

Approaches To Building And Maintaining A Collection When Institutional Support Doesn't Increase In 20 Years
Richard Olmstead and David Giblin - University of Washington

*Presentations will be followed by a discussion session including the speakers as panel members.

Ada Hayden Herbarium (ISC) to be featured on Science Friday

Ira Flatow, host and executive producer of Science Friday, talks with ISC herbarium director, Dr. Lynn Clark, and curator Deb Lewis about how plants are preserved, why herbariums are so important, and what it takes to manage a plant archive.

https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/iowa-state-plant-herbarium/

Call for informal presentations: ASPT Curators Meeting @ Botany 2024

This year at the Botany 2024 conference (Grand Rapids, MI), the ASPT Curators Meeting will carry a theme of “Success Stories: Maintaining and Advancing Herbaria in the 21st Century”. In these times of institutional budget cuts and space limitations herbarium curators are faced with challenges in maintaining and advancing their collections. We would like you to share strategies that have led to overcoming and growing your herbaria even when it seemed institutional forces were not in your corner or challenging the necessity of maintaining the collections. We hope for an uplifting discussion around the presentations. The presentations can focus on strategies of communication with administrative bodies to promote the next generation of data that our herbaria can provide. Growing communication among herbarium curators and staff will better equip all to face growing challenges.

Call for informal presentations: We are requesting 10-20 minute informal presentations from herbarium curators or their representatives. Please provide a brief abstract with the primary theme to the Current Chair of the ASPT Systematics Collections Committee, Michael Moody, mlmoody@utep.edu. The ASPT Curators Meeting convenes on Monday Evening, June 17. It doesn’t matter the size of the herbarium collection you may represent; we just want to hear your stories as our membership is associated with a wide array of institutions. While the abstracts won’t be published in BSA Program, the speakers, titles, and themes will be circulated advertising the ASPT Curators Meeting. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thank You, ASPT Systematic Collections Committee

Student travel award lottery for Botany 2024 now open

The ASPT Membership Committee is happy to announce that the popular student travel award lottery from previous years will be continued this year. Travel awards are anticipated to comprise $300 each to attend Botany 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Please see the instructions, below.
 
Advisors, please encourage those students who do not have full funding for conference travel to apply! Both undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to apply. All students must be current members of ASPT and must present at the conference; enrollment status will be verified. In addition, only students who did not receive a travel award last year are eligible to apply. 
 
The application process is straightforward and implemented as a Google form [https://forms.gle/aTL1hPcczvTX4hHfA] where the student enters their contact information and attendance plan for Botany 2024; part of the requirement is a one-line confirmation of status by their advisor to ASPT (businessoffice@aspt.net) to confirm that the student is enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at a degree-granting institution. 
 
All applications will enter into a single pool, from which winners will be drawn randomly. If the student purchases an ASPT awards reception ticket, the amount of the grant will be increased to cover the additional cost of that ticket. A PDF of the student’s registration receipt will be required, and the receipt should show the ASPT awards reception ticket purchase. Recipients of the travel awards will receive their award in the form of reimbursement checks at the conference site.
 
Please note that applications must be received by 15 May 2024. All applicants will be notified by June 1. The application form is at [https://forms.gle/aTL1hPcczvTX4hHfA]
 
For Botany 2024 information, visit the conference website at https://2024.botanyconference.org/.
 
Sincerely,
The ASPT Membership Committee
 
 
Membership Renewal Instructions:
*Go to the Welcome Page at members.aspt.net
*Click on the "Membership Payments” link to renew a membership or to submit a new application.
*At the Membership Payments page: Renewing members, please login before you submit your membership renewal form online whether you will be making an immediate payment by credit card or sending a check. The ASPT Business Office can easily supply you with your login information upon request to businessoffice@aspt.net.  Do not hesitate to ask.
 
New Members: Please go to the ASPT Welcome page and scroll down the page to read the instructions for submitting your new membership application.

Eagle Hill Institute’s 2024 Vascular Plants and Related Seminars

Eagle Hill Institute’s 2024 Vascular Plants and Related Seminars

Eagle Hill is right on the coast of Eastern Maine, between Acadia National Park and Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge. 

Jun 30 - Jul 6

Grasses and Sedges as a Way to Read the Landscape

Brett Engstrom and Jerry Jenkins

Jul 14 - 20

Grass Identification: An In-depth Review

Dennis Magee and Rick Van de Poll

Jul 28 – Aug 3

Natural Communities of the Maine Coast: An In-depth Experience for Field Botanists and Naturalists

Robert Wernerehl and Kristen Puryear

Aug 4 - 10

Submersed and Emergent Aquatic Flowering Plant

C. Barre Hellquist

Aug 11 - 17

Ferns and Lycophytes: Identification, Biology, and Natural History

Robbin Moran, Carl Taylor, Alejandra Vasco

Aug 25 - 31

Pressing Plants for Art and Science

Daniel Atha

Sep 8 - 14

Identification of Trees and Woody Plants of the Northern Forest: A Wholistic Approach

Erika Mitchell

For general information, the registration form, seminar flyers, and a complete calendar:

https://eaglehill.us/programs/sems-weeklong/calendar-weeklong.shtml

If you have any questions about the content of the seminar, please reach out to the seminar instructor(s), whose contact info can be found on the seminar flyer. If a seminar you are interested in is full, and you would like to be put on the waitlist, please fill out the application form.

If you have any questions about registering for the seminar, please contact us at office@eaglehill.us.

Open-rank tenure-track in Biological Sciences at Tarleton State University

Open-rank tenure-track/tenured positions in Biological Sciences at Tarleton State University

The Department of Biological Sciences at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, invites applications for multiple open-rank, full-time (9-month), tenure-track/tenured positions to begin Fall 2024. Competitive salary and startup commensurate with experience. The successful candidates will support a new Ph.D. in Integrated Biosciences (proposed to start Fall 2025, pending final approvals) and contribute to existing B.S. and M.S. programs in Biology, Biomedical Science, and Biotechnology depending on need and expertise. We are specifically looking for individuals working in the areas of Plant Taxonomy and Physiology.

Academic and professional service are required as outlined in the Tarleton State University Faculty and Administrative Staff Handbook at www.tarleton.edu.

Work hours: Mon-Fri; 8 AM-5 PM or as work and teaching requirements indicate.

Requires the ability to teach and/or work remotely at the University’s discretion.

Responsibilities:
Teaching: Develop and teach undergraduate and graduate courses in the candidate's area of expertise, as well as contribute to core courses in the biological sciences as needed.
Research: Establish and maintain an active, externally funded research program in Plant Taxonomy and Plant Physiology. Contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field through scholarly publications and presentations.
Mentorship: Provide mentorship and guidance to undergraduate, M.S. and Ph.D. students. Supervise graduate student theses and dissertations. Service: Engage in departmental and university service activities. Contribute to the academic community through committee work and collaboration with colleagues.

Minimum Requirements: Earned Ph.D. in biology or related field with an emphasis in ecology or evolutionary biology from an accredited institution preferred, but other related areas of interest will be considered. A record of scholarly achievements, including publications in reputable journals. Demonstrated success or potential for securing external research funding. The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate excellence and innovation in teaching and mentoring undergraduate, M.S., and Ph.D. students. Rank and eligibility for tenure will be determined by reviewing the candidate’s record of years of experience and professional achievements in teaching and service consistent with the Texas A&M System policy. Other Minimum Requirements Primary consideration will be given to those with the ability to teach courses in mammalogy or plant taxonomy and plant physiology and to applications received by 19 February 2024.

Preferred Experience Preference will be given to any applicants with postdoctoral experience, evidence of established research expertise, experience mentoring doctoral students, and record of funding. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Demonstrated ability in the discipline and clear promise of teaching excellence as evidenced in evaluation by peers, department head, or college dean. Demonstrated ability for impactful, continuous scholarly contribution. Documented yearly progress of professional achievement in teaching, scholarship, and service.

About the New Ph.D. Program and Institution The Ph.D. in Integrative Biosciences, scheduled to launch in Fall 2025 (pending final approvals), includes four tracks for students: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Neuroscience, and Quantitative Biology. The goal of the program is to provide students with intensive training and experience in collaborative aspects of integrative biosciences. A strong interdisciplinary focus will be emphasized as students representing the four concentrations will interact in the program's core courses. Tarleton State University, a member of the Texas A&M System, has a 173-acre main campus in Stephenville, Texas, outreach campuses in Waco, Fort Worth, and online, and operates the 790-acre Timberlake Biological Field Station in southern Mills County. Tarleton hosts more than 15,000 students and more than 1,900 full-time faculty and staff. Tarleton has recently gained status as an R2 Institution, ranked as a Doctoral University with high research activity and is highly committed to advancing the research infrastructure and culture at our Institution. Tarleton lists enhancing “Research and Innovation” on its strategic growth plan.

Application packets only accepted on-line at https://www.tarleton.edu/jobs Required Application Materials Completed online application Letter of interest Updated CV Teaching philosophy statement (3-page limit) Research statement (3-page limit) List of 3-5 professional references (references will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval of candidates) Unofficial transcripts Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by 19 February 2024. Official transcripts must be received directly from each degree‐granting institution before a letter of appointment is issued.

A founding member of The Texas A&M University System, Tarleton transforms generations by inspiring discovery, leadership and inclusion through teaching and research. Degree programs for more than 15,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, at A&M RELLIS at Bryan, and online emphasize real world learning that addresses regional needs while sustaining the values of excellence, integrity and respect. Tarleton State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer. As a member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton will provide equal opportunity for employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment opportunity through The Texas A&M System.

Botanical Advocacy and Service Grant Application extended

The Botanical Society of America (BSA) and the American Society of Plant Taxonomists (ASPT) are pleased to invite applications for the annual Botanical Advocacy and Service Grant. This grant supports efforts to shape public policy, make broader impacts, and connect the public, and/or policy makers to the botanical sciences in a meaningful way.

The grant recipient will receive $1000 to be used in the proposed project and will be recognized at the annual Botany meeting during the awards ceremony.

Grant recipients will be required to submit a brief summary of their activities with an image to the Plant Science Bulletin (PSB) by August 15th of the following year. This synopsis will appear in the Fall issue of the PSB and is intended to highlight the impact of the recipient’s efforts in shaping public policy and awareness of plant-related issues.

Application Deadline EXTENDED to May 1, 2024
All active members of BSA and ASPT are eligible to apply.

https://botany.org/home/awards/special-funds-and-awards/botany-advocacy-leadership-grant.html

Endowed Professorship in Botanical Studies at the University of Missouri – St. Louis

E. Desmond Lee and Family Fund Endowed Professorship in Botanical Studies
at the University of Missouri – St. Louis
in partnership with the Missouri Botanical Garden

We invite nominations of and applications by outstanding scientists for the E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professorship in Botanical Studies. Successful candidates will have an active research program that incorporates ecology, evolution, and conservation approaches to understanding plant diversity. The appointment will be made in the UMSL Department of Biology at either the associate or full professor rank. This tenured position was established to enhance the partnership between the University of Missouri–St. Louis and the Missouri Botanical Garden, where the professor will have principal investigator status. This position is one of 36 endowed professorships in the Des Lee Collaborative Vision (https://www.umsl.edu/desleecollaborative/index.html), which are distinct from more traditional academic positions in having a responsibility for community outreach and engagement. Therefore, we seek a broadly interactive colleague who is interested in crossing disciplinary boundaries within science and from science to a broad and diverse community.

The University of Missouri–St. Louis is a leader in partnerships with key institutions in the St. Louis Region, including collaborations with the Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis Zoo, Danforth Plant Science Center, and others. The Missouri Botanical Garden, with more than 45 PhD scientists, has a renowned research program with field sites in 56 countries, an outstanding library, and a world-class herbarium with more than 8 million plant specimens. This partnership also includes collaboration with the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center (https://www.umsl.edu/hwec/index.html), which promotes research and education in ecology, evolution, and conservation, and participation in the UMSL Biology graduate program that attracts top scholars from around the world.

The Des Lee Endowed Professor in Botanical Studies is expected to pursue an active program of research in botany and oversee a laboratory at the University that facilitates the training of students. Areas of particular interest are ecology, evolution, biodiversity studies, restoration ecology, systematics, geospatial approaches, and/or conservation. The endowed professor will have teaching responsibilities with the Biology undergraduate and graduate programs. In keeping with the Des Lee Collaborative

Vision, the successful candidate will have a demonstrated interest in, and skills relevant to, engaging scholars outside their focused research specialty and in engaging diverse communities outside the academy. Laboratory and office space will be housed at the University along with access to all research facilities at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The position includes an annual budget in support of the collaboration.

Required qualifications:

• A PhD in Biology or a related field

• A productive record of research publications in studies related to plant diversity

• A strong history of research funding

• Demonstrated skills in teaching courses in Biology and mentoring research

  students

Preferred qualifications:

• A track record of community engagement

• Experience supporting the success of students from a wide range of diverse

  backgrounds

The application review process will start in mid-February 2024 and will continue until the position is filled. The position will be available beginning Fall 2024, but the start date is negotiable. For full consideration, candidates must provide a cover letter outlining qualifications and interests, detailed curriculum vitae, statement of current and future research plans, and a statement of experience and plans for outreach consistent with the Des Lee Collaborative vision. Questions may be addressed to Dr. Bethany Zolman (zolmanb@umsl.edu). Formal submission of application materials must be done via the University’s website: www.umsl.jobs. Click on the E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professorship in Botanical Studies, and follow the instructions provided. Job posting ID is 50233.

We value the uniqueness of every individual and strive to ensure each person’s success. Contributions from individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives promote intellectual pluralism and enable us to achieve the excellence that we seek in learning, research and engagement. This commitment makes our university a better place to work, learn and innovate. In your application materials, please discuss your experiences and expertise that support these values and enrich our missions of teaching, research and engagement.

Seed Bank Program Manager or Research Scientist, Conservation Seed Bank

Principal Function
The Atlanta Botanical Garden is seeking a highly qualified Seed Bank Program Manager or Research Scientist for its Conservation Seed Bank, based at the Southeastern Center for Conservation. The successful candidate will work under the guidance of the Director of Research, leading seed-banking initiatives across the Southeast to support the survival of rare species in the wild. This role involves strategizing seed banking initiatives for Southeastern Regional Species of Conservation Need (RSGCN), ensuring the efficient handling of samples (seeds, spores, pollen), and integrating innovative protocols into the Garden’s seed bank programs.
Key Responsibilities
Program Management and Operations: Lead the planning, development, and implementation of seed bank operations to ensure the effective conservation of plant species. Oversees the collection, processing, storage, and germination of seeds, adhering to best practices in seed conservation.
Research and Collaboration: Work closely with scientists, researchers, and conservation organizations to identify priority species for conservation and to support restoration projects. Participate in research to improve seed storage and germination techniques.
Funding and Resource Management: Identify and pursue funding opportunities to support seed bank operations. Manage budgets, resources, and grants effectively to ensure the sustainability of the program.
Laboratory Management: Oversee the Conservation Seed Bank staff and support germination trials, viability tests, and seed cleaning processes. Ensure excellence in handling rare and imperiled species.
Team Leadership: Manage and mentor a team of technicians and volunteers, fostering a collaborative and productive work environment. Ensure staff are trained in seed collection, storage techniques, and safety protocols.
Research and Data Management: Lead the development of species-specific seed bank procedures, maintain immaculate records, and optimize laboratory workflows for sample storage and viability tests.
Training and Safety Protocols: Conduct training workshops and ensure that all lab staff adhere to best practices in safety and data management.
Data Management and Reporting: Maintain accurate records of seed collections, storage conditions, and germination rates. Prepare reports and analyses to track program progress and to share findings with stakeholders.

Qualifications
Required: MSc or Ph.D. in ecology, botany, biology, conservation, or a related science field. Minimum of 2 years of experience in seed banking, seed research, or seed conservation. 
International candidates will be considered, fluent English is required and a work visa is preferred.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team and independently. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills. 
Valid Driver’s License with a good driving record.
Preferred: Experience with orchids and imperiled plants of the southeastern United States, seed and pollen viability analysis, tissue culture, and statistical software (e.g., R, JMP). Certifications such as SCST, CVT, or RST are highly desirable. Fluency in Spanish is a plus.
Strong leadership skills and experience managing teams.
Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Knowledge of plant taxonomy, seed biology, and conservation strategies.
Physical Requirements 
Visual acuity, manual dexterity, and attention to detail are critical. Ability to spend long periods of time in the laboratory performing complex protocols. Ability to take careful notes and improve laboratory organization. 
Some regional and international travel will be required. 
Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lb. 
What We Offer
A dynamic and supportive work environment in a mission-driven organization.
Opportunities for professional development and training in conservation and seed banking.
The chance to make a significant impact on global biodiversity conservation efforts.
These job duties and responsibilities describe the general nature and level of work for employees in this position, but this is not an exclusive or all-inclusive inventory of all duties required for this position.

It is the policy of the Atlanta Botanical Garden to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities.