The Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA’s principal in-house scientific agency, is seeking nominations for the 2010 B.Y. Morrison Memorial Lecture, which is co-sponsored by the American Society for Horticultural Science.

The Lecture will be presented at the ASHS Annual Conference 2-5 August 2010 in Palm Desert, California. The Lecture is a forum for a presentation on a scientific topic, trend, issue or policy of the Lecturer’s choice.

An honorarium of $2,000, a medallion, and expenses to present the Lecture are provided.

Also included is the opportunity to turn the presentation into a paper on the lecture topic for publication in an ASHS journal.  This publication will be posted as ‘Open Access’ so that anyone, not just subscribers, can read it

To nominate a person, send by mail the candidate’s CV and a letter explaining their contributions to horticultural science to:

Kim Kaplan,
Lecture Coordinator, ARS Information Staff,
Room 1-2253, 5601 Sunnyside Ave.,
Beltsville, MD 20705-5128
telephone 301-504-1637.
Nominations may not be faxed or e-mailed.

Current ARS employees are not eligible for nomination.

Deadline for nominations: January 23, 2010

Established in 1968 by ARS, the Lecture honors the memory of Benjamin Y. Morrison (1891–1966) by recognizing outstanding contributions to horticulture including fundamental and applied research on fruits, vegetables, nut trees, ornamentals, and nursery crops.

B.Y. Morrison was the first director of USDA’s National Arboretum in Washington DC, and a pioneer in horticulture.

A scientist, plant breeder, landscape architect, plant explorer, author, and lecturer, Morrison advanced the science of botany and horticulture in the United States.

His legacy to the American public includes dozens of new ornamental plants, including the Glenn Dale azaleas.