Dr. C. Robertson “Rob” McClung, who served as ASPB President from 2007 to 2008, has been named as the newest member of the National Science Foundation’s Biological Sciences Directorate (BIO) Advisory Committee (AC). Dr. McClung, currently a Professor of Biological Sciences at Dartmouth College, was nominated by ASPB based on his expertise and leadership in the biological sciences.
Dr. McClung leads a research program that studies the mechanisms and roles of circadian rhythms in plants. These biological clocks are critical for plants to coordinate a complex set of biochemical and physiological functions tied to day and night activities. Circadian rhythms can also influence responses to environmental stresses and transitions to reproductive development. Dr. McClung has authored over 90 publications, and his work has been funded by NSF, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Agriculture. He has served as a member of the advisory committee for the North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee and the Arabidopsis Biological Resources Center. Dr. McClung is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of ASPB.
The BIO AC meets twice a year to advise NSF BIO on a number of topics including:
- How BIO’s mission, programs, and goals can best serve the scientific community;
- Institutional administration and policy;
- How BIO can promote quality graduate and undergraduate education in the biological sciences;
- Priority investment areas in biological research; and
- Government Performance and Results Act, including Committees of Visitors.
Dr. McClung’s first meeting as a member of the BIO AC will be April 29-30, 2020. The Society is excited to congratulate him on this appointment and thanks him for his many years of service to plant biology and the entire biological sciences community.
Sources and Additional Information:
- More information on the BIO AC can be found at https://tinyurl.com/y8886jqk.