This week, the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) announced the recipients of their awards for 2020. These awards honor distinctions in important values and principles including education, outreach, research, and service. RIPE’s Deputy Director Donald Ort was awarded the Charles Reid Barnes Life Membership Award for his dedication and significant contributions to plant biology.

Don is the Robert Emerson Professor in Plant Biology and Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois, where he leads research to better understand and improve photosynthetic efficiency in crops. He served as president of the ASPB, among many other positions in other organizations. He has helped carve the pathway for many successful scientific discoveries, including a landmark publication in Science. As RIPE’s deputy director, Don leads a collaboration of researchers all over the globe to engineer plants to photosynthesize more efficiently, and ultimately increase the yields of staple food crops to improve global food security—further exemplifying his commitment to education, outreach, research, and service.

To read more about this award, visit the ASPB website. 

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By: Amanda Nguyen || RIPE Communications Specialist