We had many excellent proposals submitted for the fourth round of the “Teaching Tools in Plant Biology” competition, from which we selected five for further development. We’ve added another opportunity for you to submit your ideas for consideration as a Teaching Tools, deadline March 31, 2017 (see this for more information). Feel free to contact … Read more
Many of you are just unpacking your bags and getting to know your new housemates, but it’s already time to start thinking about what you want to do next summer. If you are studying and considering pursuing a career in the biological sciences, spending time in a research lab is one of the most useful … Read more
Many schools and universities are embarking on a new academic year, so it’s a good time to remind you of some of the great resources available to help you teach (or learn) about plant biology. Many of these and others can be found at the ASPB’s Education and Outreach page. See also the American Phytopathological … Read more
Many schools and universities are embarking on a new academic year, so it’s a good time to remind you of some of the great resources available to help you teach (or learn) about plant biology. Many of these and others can be found at the ASPB’s Education and Outreach page and at the Education and … Read more
One of the most important skills a young scientist needs to learn is how to read (and write) scientific papers. Some students begin to learn this in a high school biology classes, and others as they begin their university coursework. To help instructors teach these critical skills, we created two articles to introduce students to … Read more
There’s a lot of buzz right now about indoor farming. I’m sure you’ve seen photos of fuchsia-illuminated lettuces hydroponically growing in abandoned warehouses, airplane hangars, and disused subway terminals (see for examples here and here and here.) One of the goals of these programs is to cut the energy costs of food shipping, and another … Read more
This is a guest post by Judith Wayte, in which she describes how she prepares her students to use Twitter professionally. Judith is based in The School of Biosciences at The University of Nottingham where she leads efforts to support students through integrated placement programmes and assessment of professional skills. She is interested in how … Read more
We’re delighted to announce that the latest Teaching Tool in Plant Biology article “Carbon-Fixing Reactions of Photosynthesis” is published. This article picks up where the “Light-Dependent Reactions of Photosynthesis” left off. The Teaching Tool covers the core biochemistry of the carbon-fixing reactions of photosynthesis, as well as its variations, C4 and CAM. Finally, it addresses … Read more
NSF is offering a draft of a new Proposal and Award Policies Procedure Guide. The guide is expected to ‘go live’ in January 2017. An active leader in the National Alliance for Broader Impacts recently noted that this proposed guide has some subtle yet rather interesting changes in the merit review wording. The biggest question … Read more
Winning Resources for Plant Biology Learning Objectives, Outreach Materials & Education The BLOOME is awarded to Society members with education and outreach projects that advance youth, student, or general public knowledge and appreciation of plant biology. On behalf of ASPB, the Education Committee is pleased to announce these four projects selected for the 2016 Plant … Read more
Did you know that you can now access the Teaching Tools in Plant Biology articles on Plantae? Teaching Tools in Plant Biology is a popular feature of The Plant Cell, but it’s also a little different than the usual Plant Cell content. Because of the way it is hosted on the journal website, it sometimes … Read more
Interested in mentoring young scientists (via a robust online platform) as they devise and conduct authentic research? Apply now to be one of 12 Masters of Plant Science Team members for the 2016-17 academic year. One year as a member of the Master Plant Science Team has the potential to positively affect the rest of … Read more
Improving Wikipedia’s Science Content Collaboratively A major component of the 2016 Year of Science (YoS) is engaging scientists to work with Wikipedia, and improve Wikipedia’s science content. One way Wikipedia is doing that is by partnering with major scientific societies for a series of ‘edit-a-thons,’ workshops, and talks at conferences throughout the year. This includes … Read more
Fascination of Plants Day (FoPD) is celebrated around the world on May 18th. Although this worldwide event runs every other year and the next one is planned for 2017, smaller and local events were encouraged per individual and local interest on 2016. What a better way to celebrate FoPD than learning about the awesomeness of … Read more
The ASPB SURF program funds undergraduate students to conduct 10 consecutive weeks of plant biology research with a mentor during the early part of their college career. This year’s SURF recipients will present their research during the undergraduate and regular poster sessions at Plant Biology 2017. Congratulations to these 2016 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows and … Read more
The Void in STEM Education I never thought a break from science courses would actually make me a better scientist. As a Biotechnology major and now graduate student, my college curriculum focused heavily on subjects like microbiology, statistics, and chemistry- all great courses that supported my research. Over the past years, I’ve noticed my research … Read more
Wikipedia is often the first place people go to learn about new science… so let’s work together edit it to reflect the best in plant science! Attend the ASPB Edit-a-thon to help ensure this powerful tool for communicating science to the general public is as accurate, as balanced and as up to date as possible. Over a light … Read more
2015 – 2016 World of 7 Billion Video Contest View the winning 60-second videos online now. This year, entries came from over 3,800 students from schools in 28 countries and 42 U.S. states plus Puerto Rico and American Samoa. Theme Options: Deforestation – erosion, clearing for agriculture/pasture, impacts on climate, biodiversity or habitat loss Public … Read more
The first of the Teaching Tools Competition winning entries has been published. The latest in this series, “Rhythms of Life: The Plant Circadian Clock” was written by Katharine Hubbard (Lecturer in Biological Science, University of Hull) and Antony Dodd (Royal Society University Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol). This teaching tool explores circadian … Read more
ASPB joined with the US Botanic Garden (USBG) to collaborate with the Botanical Society of America (BSA), Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Society of Economic Botany and Rutgers University in order to organize a 5-part, 600 square foot exhibit at the April 15-17, 2016 USA Science & Engineering Festival (USASEF). Over 365,000 people attended the … Read more
