The Fellow Award recognizes current members of the SIVB who have been active members for at least 10 years. A Fellow has made outstanding contributions in their area of specialization or discipline to include research, teaching, and administration in public, government, academic, or private industry activities. The Society for In Vitro Biology honored Dannette Connor-Ward, Tetsuji Okamoto, and Peggy J. Ozias-Akins with Fellow Awards at the 2012 World Congress on In Vitro Biology. This issue of the In Vitro Report will highlight Dr. Peggy J. Ozias-Akins. Dr. Dannette Connor-Ward was highlighted in the previous issue of the In Vitro Report and Dr. Tetsuji Okamoto will be highlighted in an upcoming issue of the In Vitro Report.
Peggy J. Ozias-Akins
Peggy J. Ozias-Akins, winner of the 2012 SIVB Fellow Award
It is my distinct privilege to introduce Dr. Peggy Ozias-Akins, who is now elected to Fellow by the Society of In Vitro Biology. Dr. Ozias-Akins earned her BS in Biology from Florida State University (Tallahassee) and her PhD in Botany from University of Florida (Gainesville). She then spent two years at the Max-Planck-Institute in Cologne, Germany. Dr. Ozias-Akins became assistant professor in the Department of Horticulture at University of Georgia in 1986 and moved up the ranks to full professor in 1999.
Since her graduate student time, Dr. Ozias-Akins has explored all types of in vitro culture of many plant species and cell types. She was among one of first groups of researchers in the world who developed protocols for regenerating plants from monocot species. Her pioneer work in in vitro research has paved the path for future scientists in establishing genetic transformation systems for many important crops. As one of the nomination support letters stated, “In those days, scientists were applying techniques that worked for tobacco to grasses and legumes. Not surprisingly, these did not work, and I remember conversations at the time from those in the field on that grasses and legumes may just not be amenable to regeneration. Yet, Peggy persevered and was among the first group of scientists who got grasses to regenerate from cell culture.”
Dr. Ozias-Akins is also a world-recognized expert in peanut tissue culture and genetic engineering. Her group has introduced a number of genes to enhance the yield and improve the quality.
Dr. Ozias-Akins is the world leading scientist in the study of apomixes in plants. Apomixis is a naturally occurring mode of reproduction that results in embryo formation without the involvement of meiosis or fertilization of the egg. Seed-derived progeny of an apomictic plant are genetically identical to the maternal parent. Understanding the mechanism of this phenomenon would greatly enhance the crop breeding process.
Dr. Ozias-Akins jointed the SIVB very early during her career and always has been actively serving this society. She has been serving many functions in different committees and organizing annual conferences. She was elected as PBS Chair for 2008-2010. Dr. Ozias-Akins also has an exemplary service record to many other national and international programs and committees. She has also served on many journals’ editorial boards and federal grant review panels. These activities indicate that Dr. Ozias-Akins’ expertise and accomplishments have been widely recognized and respected by the research community.
Over her career since the early 1980’s, Dr. Ozias-Akins has published nearly 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers. She was invited over 180 times over the past 25 years by various domestic and international symposiums, conferences and various institutions to present her research. Her distinguished contributions to the field of agricultural biotechnology, particularly in the areas of asexual propagation and peanut genetic engineering and molecular breeding, has won her the recognition as a AAAS fellow for meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications.
Submitted by Kan Wang
