The “New normal” was a term that arose during the 2007–2008 financial setbacks, and it has been used periodically since then. Again apropos, the term has emerged recently in the popular press. This new normal has its own vocabulary: social distancing, flattening the curve, N95 masks, Zoom and Zoombombing, and others. Many of you are … Read more
This is an unprecedented and extraordinary time. The fabric of our personal and professional lives is changing daily, and it will be different as you read this message than it was when I wrote it a few weeks ago. Now more than ever, we should value our ASPB community. Indeed, none of us is alone, … Read more
Continuing our transparency project, in this President’s Letter I discuss a proposal for a new name and mission statement for one of our standing committees, the Minority Affairs Committee (MAC), and highlight the activities of another standing committee, the Women in Plant Biology (WIPB) Committee. Minority Affairs Committee Our standing committees work hard to identify … Read more
The word transparent has multiple meanings. For us scientists, we might first think of a solution in a tube or vial being transparent, defined by Merriam-Webster as “having the property of transmitting light without appreciable scattering so that bodies lying beyond are seen clearly”. As in, did your chemical dissolve? But the transparency to which … Read more
By Rob Last, Michigan State University, and Mary Williams, Features Editor, The Plant Cell “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Attributed to Margaret Mead (1901–1978), American cultural anthropologist Whether or not Dr. Mead actually uttered this quote, the words … Read more
