Image: Bill Ricci (from Kelly Dawe's lab) received the Wilbur Duncan Award for 2019. This award is the highest recognition awarded to students in Plant Biology and it recognizes a PBIO graduate student's excellence in two of three areas: research, teaching and service to the department. Bill's research is nothing short of stellar. He has 7 publications, which includes four primary research articles, including a first author article in Nature Plants, and one book chapter as first author. He has also given four talks and seven poster presentations at various local and national conferences. Bill has also contributed a lot in service to the department through his teaching, mentorship of undergraduates, and past help volunteering for the PBIO herb sale, as well as volunteering for scientific outreach at Hilsman Middle School. Selection for the Duncan award is made by the PBIO Graduate Studies Committee. Duncan Award recipients are listed on a plaque in the Palfrey Room (2507). Noteworthy are the first two recipients, Adrienne Edwards (1996) and Robert Alba (1997), who played significant roles in promoting the culture of teaching in the department by encouraging faculty to become more involved in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Wilbur H. Duncan (1910-2005) was a faculty member and Curator of the UGA Herbarium in what was then the Botany Department for 40 years (1938-1978). He increased the herbarium collection from 16,000 to 135,000 specimens, described 3 new plant species and published five books, three of them with his botanist wife, Marion, of 64 years and after he had officially retired. He is remembered by colleagues as a skilled field botanist, gifted teacher, field guide, author, plant photographer and friend. Way to go, Bill! This is a well-deserved honor.
