2008 Scholarships
The East Bay Chapter Grants Committee is pleased to announce that $1,200 scholarships from the Chapter have been awarded to:
Matthew Hughes (UC Berkeley)
Thomas Madsen (UC Berkeley)
Abigail Moore (UC Berkeley)
Jae Pasari (UC Santa Cruz)
Michal Shuldman (UC Berkeley)
The applications this year were all extremely impressive. All of the applicants are engaged in extremely interesting areas of research involving California plants. A total of nine applications were received and the committee would have happily funded all of them had it a sufficiently large budget.
Areas of interest include the genetics of Shasta red fir, symbiotic seed germination in California orchids, the adaptations of California shrubs to climate change, and the effects of nitrogen deposition on serpentine habitats.
The committee awarded this year’s Myrtle Wolf Scholarship (an additional $750) to Abigail Moore. Abigail is working, under the supervision of Dr. Bruce Baldwin, on a thesis on the evolution of gumweeds (Grindelia). She is using modern molecular genetics to analyze the distribution and speciation of these plants. Abigail’s work with Grindelia is important because the taxonomy of this group is confused. As taxonomy is the basis for legal protections, getting Grindelia taxonomy correct is important for their conservation. She is also an exceptional student and encourages her undergraduate students to explore the local flora.
The Chapter’s hope for this program is that this support will enable these students to continue their studies and ultimately lead them to involvement with CNP.
The committee – Sandy McCoy, Holly Forbes, and John Game – welcomed a new member this year. That new member is Susan Spiller, Ph.D. Dr. Spiller is a professor of plant physiology at Mill College. She is also a strong supporter of CNPS and would like to see more of CNPS at Mills.
Sandy McCoy