Committees & Committee Officers
Standing Committees:
Board of Directors
- Brenda Molano-Flores (2025), President
- Vivian Negron-Ortiz (2024), Past President
- Jenny Xiang (2025), President-Elect
- Norm Wickett (2024), Secretary
- Allison Miller (2025), Treasurer
- Melanie Link-Perez (2026), Program Director
- Eli Hartung (2024), Student Representative
- Josh Felton (2025), Student Representative
- Emily Sessa (2025), At-Large Director - Publications
- Jennifer Cruse-Sanders (2026), At-Large Director - Development
- Karolina Heyduk (2026), At-Large Director - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Rachel Jabaily (2024), At-Large Director - Education
Executive Committee
(designated in bylaws)
- Brenda Molano-Flores (2025), President
- Vivian Negron-Ortiz (2024), Past President
- Jenny Xiang (2026), President-Elect
- Norm Wickett (2024), Secretary
- Allison Miller (2025), Treasurer
- Melanie Link-Perez (2026), Program Director
Committee on Committees
- Jenny Xiang (2024), President Elect, Chair
- Norm Wickett (2024), Secretary
- Gretchen North, DEI Committee Representative (2024)
- Wendy Clement (2024)
- Steven Handel (2025)
- Cynthia Huebner (2025)
- Rob Baker (2026)
- Natali Ramirez-Bullon (2026)
- Madhav Nepal (2026)
Other Committees:
Annual Meeting Program Committee
- Melanie Link-Perez (2026), Program Director (Chair)
- Program Organizer of each Section
- Chair, Local Organizing Committee
- Johanne Stogran, Conference Staff
- Representatives of Other Societies meeting with BSA
Development Committee
- Jennifer Cruse-Sanders (2026), At-Large Director - Development, Chair
- Ned Friedman (2024)
- Rebecca Rooney (2024)
- Peter Wilf (2024)
- Joe Williams (2024)
- Katherine Charton, Graduate Student Representative (2024)
- Jennifer Ackerfield (2025)
- Heather Cacanindin, Executive Director, ex officio
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
- Karolina Heyduk (2026), Chair
- Vacant, Undergraduate Student Representative (2025)
- Shan Wong, Graduate Student Representative (2025)
- R. Shawn Abrahams (2024)
- Ana Almeida (2024)
- Rocio Deanna (2024)
- Gretchen North (2024)
- Adam Ramsey (2024)
- Alana Chin (2026)
- Suneeti Jog (2026)
- Scott Gevaert (2026)
- Keri Maricle (2026)
- Anna Monfils, PI PLANTS III
- Melanie Link-Perez (2026), Program Director, ex officio
- Brenda Molano-Flores (2024), President, ex officio
- Heather Cacanindin, Executive Director, ex officio
Early Career Professional Development Committee
- Josh Felton (2025) - BSA Student Representative
- Eli Hartung (2024) - BSA Student Representative
- Ben Blackman (2024)
- Miranda Sinnott-Armstrong (2024)
- Jill Spear (2025)
- Min Ya (2025)
- Christopher Krieg (2026)
Education Committee
- Rachel Jabaily (2024), Chair and At-Large Director - Education
- Rebecca (Arby) Barone, Graduate Student Representative (2025)
- Helen Holmlund (2024)
- Terian Koscik, Undergraduate Student Representative (2024)
- Karen Wellner (2024)
- Emily Rollinson (2025)
- Sonali Saha (2025)
- Molly Edwards (2026)
- Catrina Adams, BSA Education Director, ex officio
- Phil Gibson, Editor, PlantED, ex officio
- Ben Montgomery, Teaching Section Chair, ex officio
- Norm Wickett (2024), Secretary, ex officio
- Brenda Molano-Flores (2024), President, ex officio
Election Committee
- Vivian Negron-Ortiz (2024), Past President, Chair
- Imeña Valdes (2024), Graduate Student Representative
- Lauren Eserman (2025)
- Kathleen Pryer (2025)
- Christopher Ivey (2026)
- Norm Wickett (2024), Secretary, ex officio
Finance Advisory Committee
- Larry Hufford (2024), Chair
- Laura Galloway (2024)
- Linda Watson (2025)
- Lucinda McDade (2026)
- Vacant, grad student representative
- Allison Miller (2025), Treasurer, ex officio
Information Technology Committee
- Jasmine Zenderland, Graduate Student Representative (2024)
- Eric Wada (2025)
- Cheng-Chiang Wu (2025)
- Jeff Mower (2026)
- Rob Brandt, BSA Manager Technology Development, ex officio
- Heather Cacanindin, Executive Director, ex officio
International Affairs Committee
- Shengchen Shan (2024), Chair
- Oluwatobi Oso, Graduate Student Representative (2024)
- Julie Barcelona (2025)
- Funmilola Ojo (2025)
- Susanne S. Renner (2025)
- Veronica Di Stilio (2026)
- Shelley James (2026)
- Heather Cacanindin, Executive Director, ex officio
- Melanie Link-Perez, (2026) Program Director, ex officio
- Brenda Molano-Flores, (2024) President, ex officio
Investment Committee
- Kent Holsinger (2024), Chair
- Charles Bush, Grad Student Representative (2025)
- Larry Hufford (2024)
- Janice Coons (2025)
- Maia Thomas (2025), Probono Professional advisor
- John Pascarella (2026)
- Austin Mast (2026)
- Brenda Molano-Flores (2024), President, ex officio
- Allison Miller (2025), Treasurer, ex officio
- Heather Cacanindin, Executive Director, ex officio
Public Policy Committee
- Andrew Pais (2024), Chair
- Ash Gill, Graduate Student Representative (2025)
- Travis Marsico (2025)
- Taylor AuBuchon-Elder (2026)
- Andrea Kornbluh (2026)
- Naomi Fraga (2026)
- Heather Cacanindin, Executive Director, ex officio
Publications Committee
- Emily Sessa, BSA Director at large - Publications (2025), Chair
- Giulia de Gennaro- Grad Student Representative (2025)
- Jordan Dowell (2024)
- H. Jochen Schenk (2025)
- Elizabeth Stacy (2026)
- Olubunmi Sharaibi (2026)
- Israel Lopes da Cunha Neto (2026)
- Pamela Diggle, Editor, AJB, ex officio
- Briana Gross, Editor, APPS, ex officio
- Mackenzie Taylor, Editor, PSB, ex officio
- Amy McPherson, AJB Managing Editor, ex officio
- Richard Hund, AJB Production Editor, ex officio
- Beth Parada, APPS Managing Editor, ex officio
Publications Ethics Committee
Honors and Awards Committees:
AJB Synthesis Prize Committee
- Richard (Dick) Olmstead (2023)
- Cate Macinnis-Ng (2023)
- Nora Mitchell (2023)
Cheadle Award Committee
- Jessical Budke (2022), Chair as Chair of D&S Section
- Andrew Doust (2022)
- Carol Wilson (2023)
- Heather Cacanindin, Executive Director, ex officio
Corresponding Members Committee
(Past Presidents)
- Vivian Negron Ortiz (2026), Past President, Chair, ex officio
- Michael Donoghue (2025)
- Shengchen Shan (2024), International Affairs Committee representative
- Cynthia Jones (2024)
Darbaker Prize Committee
- In partnership with the Phycological Society of America
- Heather Cacanindin, Executive Director, ex officio
Distinguished Fellow and Emerging Leader Award Committee
- Jim Leebens-Mack, Chair (2025)
- Stacey Smith (2025)
- Sean Graham (2026)
- Selena Smith (2026)
- Mike Barker (2026)
- Brenda Molano-Flores (2024), President, ex officio
Donald R. Kaplan Memorial Lecture Committee
- Ned Friedman (2024), Chair
- Juerg Schoenenberger (2026)
- Maria Alejandra Gandolfo (2025)
- Heather Cacanindin, Executive Director, ex officio
Esau Award Committee
- Cheng-Chiang Wu (2023)
- Rebecca Povilus (2023)
- Luke Nikolov (2024)
- Heather Cacanindin, Executive Director, ex officio
Graduate Student Dissertation Award in Phylogenetic Comparative Plant Biology
- Michael Donoghue, Chair
- Petra De Block
- Joyce Onyenedum
- Ken Systma
- David Tank
- Barbara Whitlock
BSA Graduate Student Research Award Committee (Including the J.S. Karling Award)
- Richard Moore (2025), Chair
- Liming Cai (2024)
- Stephanie Conway (2024)
- Cheryl Dunn (2024)
- Helen Michaels (2024)
- Michael Moody (2025)
- Yujing Yan (2025)
- Dylan Cohen (2026)
- Howard Neufeld (2026)
- Kristen Nolting (2026)
- Jennifer Tate (2026)
- Emily Warschefsky (2026)
- Heather Cacanindin, Executive Director, ex officio
Additional Members as Needed
- Monica Carlsen-Krause (1-Year Term, 2021)
- Shawn Krosnick (1-Year Term, 2021)
- Lucas Majure (2-Year term, 2021)
- Allison Miller (1-Year Term, 2021)
- Nora Mitchell (3-Year term, 2023)
- Daniel Spalink (2-Year term, 2021)
- Cynthia Huebner (1- Year term, 2021)
- Emily Warschefsky (1-Year term, 2023)
Grady L. Webster and Barbara D. Webster Structural Botany Publication Award Committee
Kaplan Dissertation Improvement Award in Comparative Morphology Committee
- Natalia Pabon-Mora (2025), Chair
- Jessica Budke (2024)
- Paula Rudall (2024)
- Mark Olson (2025)
- Vacant, TBD Fall of 2023 (2026)
Moseley Award Committee
- Luiza Teixeira-Costa (2023)
- Kelly Matsunaga (2024)
- Pam Diggle (2025)
- Heather Cacanindin, Executive Director, ex officio
Pelton Award Committee
- Andrew Doust (2022)
- Rob Baker (2023)
- Yaowu Yuan (2024)
- Heather Cacanindin, Executive Director, ex officio
Botany360 Ad Hoc Committee
- Amelia Neely, Committee Chair
- Benjamin Blackman - Early Career Professional Development Committee
- Karolina Heyduk - Director at Large for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Chair of DEI Committee
- Rachel Jabaily - Director at Large for Education, Chair of Education Committee
- Kyra Krakos - Teaching Section (Immediate Past Chair)
- Christopher Krieg - Early Career Professional Development Committee
- Min Ya - Early Career Professional Development Committee
- Ben Montgomery - Chair of Teaching Section, Education Committee
- Andrew Pais - Chair of Public Policy Committee
- Emily Sessa - Director at Large for Publications, Chair of Publications Committee
- Miranda Sinnott-Armstrong - Early Career Professional Development Committee
- Jill Spear - Early Career Professional Development Committee
- Brenda Molano-Flores, BSA President
- Eli Hartung, BSA Student Representative (and ECPDC)
- Josh Felton, BSA Student Representative (and ECPDC)
- Heather Cacanindin, Staff Representative - Executive Director
- Jennifer Hartley, Staff Representative - Education
- Amy McPherson, Staff Representative - Publications
Membership Ad Hoc Committee
- Amelia Neely - Chair
- Nina Baghai-Riding
- Tineka Burkhead
- Rachel Jabaily
- Rich Hund
- Yesenia Madrigal
- Funmilola Mabel Ojo
- Chelsea Pretz
- Dennis Stevenson
Ad Hoc Committee on Climate Change
- Vivian Negron-Ortiz (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida/Southeast), Chair
- Heather Cacanindin (Botanical Society of America, St. Louis, MO)
- Vinita Gowda (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, India)
- Jeremy Rentsch (Francis Marion University, SC)
- Loren Rieseberg (University of British Columbia, Canada)
- Julieta Rosell (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México)
- Emily Sessa (New York Botanical Garden, NY)
- As needed: Wesley Knapp (NatureServe)
Ad Hoc Committee for AI and Publications
- Theresa Culley - Chair
- Rob Baker
- Irene Cobo
- Aaron David
- Matt Gitzendanner
- Matt Olson
- Tilottama Roy
- Will Weaver
- Pamela Diggle, ex-officio
- Briana Gross, ex-officio
- Mackenzie Taylor, ex-officio
- Emily Sessa, ex-officio
- Amy McPherson, ex-officio
- Richard Hund, ex-officio
- Beth Parada, ex-officio
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