{"id":687,"date":"2020-10-05T14:54:20","date_gmt":"2020-10-05T14:54:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sicb.burkclients.com\/wp\/?page_id=687"},"modified":"2020-11-01T19:29:07","modified_gmt":"2020-11-01T19:29:07","slug":"fall-2020-dob","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/sicb.burkclients.com\/wp\/?page_id=687","title":{"rendered":"Fall 2020 DOB"},"content":{"rendered":"

Message from the Division of Botany Leadership<\/h2>\n

Everything seems to be taking longer these days, including writing this newsletter, so we\u2019ll keep things brief.<\/p>\n

\"Tanisha
Tanisha Williams (Bucknell) initiated Black Botanists Week!<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This past summer, Division of Botany member Tanisha Williams (Bucknell University) initiated Black Botanists Week and served as one of 11 members of the social media campaign\u2019s organizing committee. Established to \u201cpromote, encourage, create a safe space for, and find more Black people (and BIPOC) who love plants,\u201d the campaign engaged with thousands of online supporters in its inaugural week. Members of the committee were featured in dozens of news stories, including coverage in USA Today, Discover Magazine, and WNYC radio. To learn more, visit https:\/\/blackbotanistsweek.weebly.com\/<\/a>; and to hear more about the history of black botany check out the groundbreaking new virtual lecture series (cosponsored by the committee and Holden Arboretum), \u201cGrowing Black Roots: The Black Botanical Legacy,\u201d at https:\/\/holdenarb.org\/visit\/events-lectures\/scientist-lecture\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Black
Black Botanists Week members<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although we are headed into a meeting like no other, I can assure you that the Program Committee and Executive Committee have been taking an incredibly well-researched and thoughtful approach to putting together a virtual meeting. We will have a Best Student Presentation session for the Division of Botany, as well as a Best Student Poster competition. We have over a dozen other plant talks in sessions across the program. The SICB-wide education symposium on Tuesday promises to have interesting botany content, and plants are well represented in Wednesday\u2019s symposium on the Biology of Sticky. DOB is also proud to be sponsoring a special session at SICB 2021 in honor of the late Dr. Vicki Funk, titled “Evolution and Biogeography on Islands.” The session will take place on February 26 and will be kicked off with a tribute from Dr. Funk’s friend and colleague at the Smithsonian, Warren Wagner.<\/p>\n

\"Silene
Gratuitous plant photo of Silene petersonii<\/em>, courtesy of Jenna Miladin<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Meeting virtually presents a new set of challenges but also new opportunities for accessibility and the way we interact. Invite your colleagues to register or host a watch party for the talks that interest you most. If you have any questions about the meeting or preparing a talk or poster, please feel free to reach out. Also, please give us input<\/a> on how we might have a DOB social, and what you want social and informal interactions to look like this year.<\/p>\n

Reminders:<\/p>\n