For Immediate Release

Contact:
Brian Hyps bhyps@aspb.org / 301.251.0560 ext 114 / 240.354.5160 (c)
Katie Engen katie@aspb.org / 301.251.0560 ext 116

University of Tennessee's Elena Shpak Wins 2007 Early Career Award from American Society of Plant Biologists
Rockville, MD. (August 28, 2007) - The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is pleased to announce recipients of its 2007 Early Career. This award was presented at the society's annual meeting that was held jointly with the Botanical Society of America as well as the American Fern Society and the American Society of Plant Taxonomists July 7-11, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois.
The Early Career was instituted by the Society's executive committee in 2005 to recognize outstanding research by scientists at the beginning of their careers. This award is a monetary award made annually for exceptionally creative, independent contributions by a member of the Society who is not more than five years post-Ph.D. on January 1st of the year of the presentation. Elena Shpak, University of Tennessee was selected for the 2007 Early Career Award because of her outstanding accomplishments in two different areas of research in plant cell and molecular biology and her potential for continued creative contribution. She is recognized for achievements in both plant biochemistry and plant development. A full description of the winner's work along with a photo can be found at www.aspb.org.

Founded in 1924, ASPB (formerly known as the American Society of Plant Physiologists), is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. This professional society has a membership of approximately 5,000 plant scientists from the United States and more than 50 other nations. ASPB publishes two of the most widely cited plant science journals in the world, Plant Cell and Plant Physiology.