Mary Williams

I studied Biochemistry at Berkeley (BA), Plant Molecular Biology at Rockefeller (PhD), did a postdoc at Berkeley with Ian Sussex, and then spent 14 years as a Biology professor at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California. In 2009 I started working at the American Society of Plant Biologists as Features Editor of the journal Plant Cell and the developer of Teaching Tools in Plant Biology. My passion lies in making it a little bit easier for students of all ages to understand plants and plant science research. I live in Glasgow, Scotland, with my family and our much adored dog.

Oct. 17: The Plant Cell Webinar Focus on Photosynthesis

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Celebrating the October 2024 Focus Issue on Photosynthesis Recorded October 17, 2024 It is difficult to overstate the importance of photosynthesis to life on Earth. Despite its importance, critical gaps remain in our understanding of photosynthesis, its interplay with other metabolic pathways, and the adaptation and acclimation processes that allow photosynthetic organisms to live almost … Read more

Plant Physiology Focus Issue Webinar: Vegetable Crops, June 5, 2024

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Plant Physiology Webinar: Vegetable Crops Celebrating the June 2024 Focus Issue on Vegetable Crops Recorded Wednesday June 5, 2024 About this webinar Vegetable crops encompass over 200 plant species utilized as human food. They have been domesticated from their wild progenitors that have undergone a process influenced by human preferences and diverse environmental factors. Because … Read more

Plant Physiology is recruiting Assistant Features Editors to start in 2025 and 2026

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The application period is now closed! Thank you to all who applied. Come back next summer to learn how to apply to the Plant Cell Assistant Features Editor program! By Yunde Zhao (Plant Physiology EIC) and Mary Williams (Plant Physiology Features Editor) We started the Plant Physiology Assistant Features Editor program more than six years … Read more

It’s Time to Retire the Term “Blind” Review

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Putting ableist language behind us   As part of ASPB’s commitment to diversity (see ASPB’s Revised Diversity Statement, 2021), we are changing our language around peer review to use the phrase “anonymous” review rather than “blind” review. We are joining the efforts of several other academic publishers and societies to move away from this unclear … Read more