Plant Breeding Seminar - May 7th, 2024 3:10 room 3022 Agronomy Hall 

Join us (3022 Agronomy Hall) for a presentation by Jonathan Wendel 

Title: “Genes, Jeans, Genomes, and the Wondrous Cycles of Polyploidy in Plants” 

Jonathan F. Wendel is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University. His research focuses on mechanisms underlying plant genomic and phenotypic diversify, with a special focus on the phenomenon of whole genome doubling, or polyploidy. Most of his ~340 publications focus on the cotton genus (Gossypium), in which two diploid and two polyploid species were each independently domesticated thousands of years ago. This natural evolutionary diversification, followed by parallel strong directional selection under domestication, provide a model framework for exploring the comparative basis of domestication, the origin of form and of diversity in nature, and the evolutionary consequences of genome doubling. His research has helped shape the field, as documented in citation metrics (Google Scholar 52,500 citations; h-index of 111). Professor Wendel’s contributions have been recognized in all three major domains of professorial life: Master Teacher (2005) for his role as graduate mentor and educator; Outstanding Achievement in Departmental Leadership (2009), for leadership excellence during his 16 years (2002-2017) as department chair; and Distinguished Professor (2012) for national research prominence. His work has garnered national recognition, including election as an AAAS Fellow (2010), Distinguished Fellow of the Botanical Society of America (2015), Distinguished Scholar, Crop Science Society of America, (2015), and most recently, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2023), and the United States National Academy of Sciences (2023).

B.S., University of Michigan (1976); M.S., University of North Carolina (1980); Ph.D., University of North Carolina (1983)

Zoom link: https://iastate.zoom.us/j/94094044904?pwd=S2tsV29zbmE0bHpBeFZvdlRtYWlkUT09