ASPB members share a common goal of promoting the growth, development, and outreach of plant biology as a pure and applied science. This column features some of the dedicated and innovative members of ASPB who believe that membership in our Society is crucial to the future of plant biology.

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Membership Corner

Name: Valerie Haywood
Title: Postdoctoral researcher
Place of work or school: Department of Biological Sciences at Stanford University
Research area: Phloem-mediated macromolecular communication
Member since: 1998

1. Has being a member of ASPB helped you in your career? If so how?
Absolutely! Being a member of ASPB has helped me meet many other people in the field of plant biology. That in itself is an incredibly important resource for someone wishing to pursue a career in this field. Also, I think it is very important to be aware of where the field is going if one wants to maintain a career in plant biology. The Society’s newsletter, ASPB News, is a great way to stay on top of current affairs, both within ASPB and in the scientific community at large. Being a member of ASPB has definite benefits for career development, and I certainly feel that my membership has helped me tremendously.

2. Why has being a member of ASPB been important?
In addition to the reasons stated above, I personally enjoy being part of such a positive, respected community. The people are fantastic, there are endless career opportunities, and the meetings are great. Being a member of ASPB has been a really positive experience.

3. Was someone instrumental in getting you to join ASPB?
No one was really instrumental in my joining ASPB. However, my graduate adviser, Bill Lucas, influenced me to subscribe to The Plant Cell, and so I joined ASPB at the same time.

4. What would you tell nonmembers to encourage them to join?
I would tell them about all the great benefits that members of ASPB have access to for a relatively inexpensive membership fee. I would also tell them that if they are really serious about pursing a career in plant biology, then joining ASPB could help them tremendously.

5. Have you gotten a job using ASPB job postings or through networking at the annual meeting?
I have not yet gotten a job via ASPB. However, I would like to get involved in some type of a scientific writing career, and I met a lot of people at this year’s annual meeting in Honolulu who gave me advice on how to pursue that avenue.

6. Have you hired anyone as a result of a job posting at the meeting or on our online Job Bank?
Well, I’m only a graduate student at the moment, so I’m not really in a position to hire anyone. If and when I am looking to hire someone, I would definitely use the ASPB resources to get the word out.

7. Do you still read print journals? Where do you usually read them: work, home, library, in the car, on the bus?
The only hard copy I currently receive is Science. I try to look through other journals online and then I might print out the articles that interest me. I decided a few years ago to discontinue receiving hard copies for environmental reasons. I usually read at home in the morning and evenings and maybe a little bit in the lab.

8. What do you think is the next “big thing” in plant biology?
I think the next big thing in plant biology is going to involve a more in-depth functional analysis of the “non-coding” DNA sequences. All the recent work involving the various small RNA molecules has already demonstrated this concept. I think we are going to find out that most, if not all, of the chromosomal sequences serve a purpose rather than just being “junk.”

9. What person, living or dead, do you most admire?
There are so many people I admire that I’m almost afraid to answer this question. I guess I would have to say that I most admire my parents. I really respect who they are as people. They have provided me and my brother with unending support and love, even though neither one of us went to medical school!

10. What are you reading these days?
Well, I’m always reading The Plant Cell and Plant Physiology! For recreation, I’m currently reading Papillon, by Henri Charrière. It’s an autobiographical account of the author’s escapes from prison in French Guiana. It’s really interesting. It sort of reminds me of graduate school.

11. What are your hobbies?
I really enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, and biking.

12. What is your most treasured possession?
My most treasured possession is, without a doubt, my health.

13. What do you still have left to learn?
I have a lot left to learn. Even though I’m almost done with graduate school and I feel like I have learned an incredible amount of information, I still feel pretty ignorant about a lot of things. But that’s what life is all about, right?