The Crop Science Society of America recently announced its annual awards, to be presented at the Society’s annual meetings in Pittsburgh on 3 November, next week. We couldn’t be happier about the Calvin Sperling Biodiversity Memorial Lectureship, which goes to our friend and sometime blogger here, Robert. J. Hijmans. As the announcement says,
“Robert Hijmans is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California-Davis. … His program focuses mainly on modeling of the spatial and temporal dynamics of natural and cultivated biodiversity, agricultural geography and development, and spatial informatics.”
His lecture promises to be fascinating. If you’re in Pittsburgh for the CSSA meetings, go. Will technology allow us to share it?
There are some other awards in there that recognize the importance of agricultural biodiversity.
- José F. M. Valls picks up the Frank N. Meyer Medal for Plant Genetic Resources for his work on the collection, conservation, and characterization of forage grass and wild peanut germplasm.
- Maarten Van Ginkel, of ICARDA in Syria, gets the International Service in Crop Science Award. He contributed to breeding more than 100 bread wheat varieties.
- And, illustrating yet again the truth of Matthew 25:29, the CSSA Presidential Award goes to Gebisa Ejeta of Purdue University, winner of this year’s World Food Prize. Not that we begrudge him the honour for a second.
Congratulations to all the winners.