Global Navigation

  • VPR
  • Funding
    • Find Funding
    • Pre-Award Support
    • Post-Award Support
  • Proposals
    • Proposal Services
    • Proposal Development
    • Collaboration
    • Training Grants
  • Compliance
    • Research Regulatory Support
    • Animal Care
    • Human Subjects
    • Environmental Health & Safety
    • Export Control
    • Conflict of Interest
    • Research Integrity
    • Stem Cell
    • University Research Organization
    • Outside Influence Guidance
    • MSU Policies
  • Commercialization
    • Innovation Center
    • Business Connect
    • MSU Technologies
    • Spartan Innovations
    • Bioeconomy Institute
    • AgBio Product Center
  • Resources
    • Getting Started in Research
    • Resource Contact List
    • Core Facilities
    • Centers & Institutes
    • Library
    • Training
    • Acronyms
    • Find an Expert
    • Events & Workshops
    • Event Archive
    • COVID-19 Research Response
  • Students

VPRGS Local navigation

  • About
  • Initiatives
  • Facts & Figures
  • Administrative Units
  • People
  • Communications
  • News

Search

Skip to Main Content

Global Navigation

  • VPR
  • Funding
    • Find Funding
    • Pre-Award Support
    • Post-Award Support
  • Proposals
    • Proposal Services
    • Proposal Development
    • Collaboration
    • Training Grants
  • Compliance
    • Research Regulatory Support
    • Animal Care
    • Human Subjects
    • Environmental Health & Safety
    • Export Control
    • Conflict of Interest
    • Research Integrity
    • Stem Cell
    • University Research Organization
    • Outside Influence Guidance
    • MSU Policies
  • Commercialization
    • Innovation Center
    • Business Connect
    • MSU Technologies
    • Spartan Innovations
    • Bioeconomy Institute
    • AgBio Product Center
  • Resources
    • Getting Started in Research
    • Resource Contact List
    • Core Facilities
    • Centers & Institutes
    • Library
    • Training
    • Acronyms
    • Find an Expert
    • Events & Workshops
    • Event Archive
    • COVID-19 Research Response
  • Students
Michigan State University Office of Research and Innovation

Search

Main navigation

  • About
  • Initiatives
  • Facts & Figures
  • Administrative Units
  • People
  • Communications
  • News

Montgomery Selected as Science Defender by Union of Concerned Scientists

Mar 01, 2021
Portrait photo of Beronda Montgomery

Michigan State University’s Beronda Montgomery, an MSU Foundation Professor, was one of five individuals nominated by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) as a 2020 Science Defender.

Montgomery, who holds joint appointments in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in the MSU College of Natural Science (NatSci), and currently serves as Interim Assistant Vice President for Research & Innovation, was cited for her "incredibly important work . . . to ensure that science benefits the common good.”

"It is wonderful to see this high level-recognition of the outstanding work that Professor Montgomery has been doing at MSU and in the broader plant sciences community,” said Phillip Duxbury, NatSci dean. “Her stature as a leader in research and in promoting inclusive science is invaluable."

“This honor, in this particular year, is especially meaningful, as a need for ‘voices for science’ is more important than ever,” said Montgomery, who is also a faculty member in the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory. “A consistent call for us to improve our ability to open paths of access and success for scientists from all backgrounds remains critical and urgent.”

Montgomery is specifically recognized for her work as the co-organizer of the first Black Botanists Week, which was held July 6 – 11. The goal of Black Botanists Week is to “promote, encourage, create a safe space for, and find more Black people (and BIPOC) who love plants.” Because of its success, Montgomery and her colleagues are collaborating with Holden Forest and Gardens in Ohio for a year-long lecture series, "Growing Black Roots: A Black Botanical Legacy,” and are already planning for the 2021 Black Botanists Week.

In addition, Montgomery’s published work— including articles and commentary in Plant Cell and Nature Microbiology—has stimulated public-facing conversations about equity in science and higher education.

The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet’s most pressing problems. Joining with people across the country, UCS combines technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.

For a complete list of 2020 Science Defenders, visit https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/2020-ucs-science-defenders.

Story via College of Natural Science 

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

YouTube

The Conversation

Quick Links

  • Contact Us
  • MSU Home Page
  • Centers & Institutes
  • Campus Map
  • Core Facilities & Resources
  • Campus Directory
  • Find an Expert
  • The Graduate School
  • MSU Libraries
  • Student Research
  • MI Spartan Impact
  • Together We Will
  • University Research Corridor
  • Join Our Team

Office of Research and Innovation

517-355-0306
Hannah Administration Building
426 Auditorium Rd.
East Lansing, MI 48824-1046

Michigan State University Info

Michigan State University
  • Privacy Statement
  • Site Accessibility
Call MSU: (517) 355-1855 | Visit: msu.edu | MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. | Notice of Nondiscrimination
SPARTANS WILL. | © Michigan State University