August 2009: GDCB Professor Carolyn Lawrence and a member of her staff receive awards from the USDA-ARS

Dr. Carolyn Lawrence (left in photo), collaborating professor in GDCB, has been honored by her employer, the USDA-ARS, with one of their 2009 Midwest Research Support Awards for Excellence. Dr. Lawrence was honored with an Equal Opportunity Award in recognition of her innovative and effective outreach to Native Americans, as under-represented minorities, in plant biology. The outreach to Native Americans program she coordinates is also now in the running for the Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity (ODEO) award for the agency. (see recent news item entitled “GDCB Professor Carolyn Lawrence receives additional funding from the Department of Energy” for more information)

This USDA-ARS awards program annually recognizes the outstanding achievements and creative efforts of individuals and groups in the support categories who have significantly contributed to the mission of the Agricultural Research Service. In addition to Dr. Lawrence, Darwin Campbell (right in photo), a member of her staff, was also recognized with a Direct Research Support Person of the Year Award for his contribution to MaizeGDB, the Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit, and the maize geneticists on all aspects of what it takes to make these programs operate successfully.