Keegstra and Thomashow Travel Award

The United States has a rich history of leadership in scientific discovery. One component of this success has been the excellence of the graduate student training programs offered at educational institutions such as Michigan State University. Graduate student training at MSU, as elsewhere, is a multifaceted endeavor that includes the successful completion of formal coursework, the generation of new knowledge through original research, and the writing of a dissertation that must be approved by a guidance committee. In addition, the success of graduate education requires that students learn to effectively communicate their research findings with other scientists, and optimally, with laypersons as well. An essential component of training in this area is presenting and discussing research findings at high quality scientific conferences such as the annual ‘Plant Biology’ meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists and the Gordon Research Conferences. Moreover, attending such meetings provide opportunities for students to ‘network’ with other students and faculty and to learn about exciting new advances, not only directly in their fields but others as well, which can lead to new lines of inquiry and collaboration. The Keegstra and Thomashow Travel Award, awards two distinguished graduate students working with PRL faculty $1,200 each. These awards were established through an endowment with the intention “that the funds provided by the Keegstra and Thomashow Travel Award will enrich the graduate education and future careers of promising PRL students.”

Kenneth Keegstra

Dr. Keegstra is a University Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory (PRL) and held faculty positions in the Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Plant Biology at Michigan State University (MSU). Keegstra’s research focused on the biogenesis of chloroplasts and plant cell walls, both unique features of plant cells. He served as director of the Plant Research Laboratory (1993-2006), scientific director if the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (2007-2016), and president of the American Society of Plant Biologists (1998). Keegstra is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB). He received the Stephen Hales Prize from the ASPB in 2006. He is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences.

Michael Thomashow

Dr. Thomashow is a University Distinguished Professor and MSU Foundation Professor in the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory (PRL) and the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences. Thomashow’s research interests have centered on the identification and regulation of genes in higher plants that impart freezing tolerance and immunity against pathogens. Thomashow served as director of the Plant Research Laboratory (2006-2015), founding director of the MSU Plant Resilience Institute (2015-2017) and president of the American Society of Plant Biologists (2004). Thomashow is a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is a recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Award and the Stephen Hales Prize from the American Society of Plant Biologists. He is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences.

Award Recipients

2018: Alyssa Preiser, Pengfei Cao
2019: Donghee Hoh
2023: Xiaotong Jiang, Bailey Kleven