Announcing a new IAPT award: The Vicki Funk Award for Distinguished Service

The International Association for Plant Taxonomy gives awards to recognize excellent publications in our field (Engler in Silver, Stafleu, Stebbins) and lifetime achievements (Engler in Gold). We are delighted to announce a new IAPT award to honor professional service to the community. Service contributions are very important to the success of our field. Many of the resources and tools we depend upon in our work in taxonomy and systematics would not exist without the voluntary service provided by many individuals. Recognizing and honoring these individuals for their contributions to the field is essential.

The IAPT Distinguished Service Award will recognize individuals who have served our organization and/or the broad botanical community significantly to benefit plant science research and scholarship, including fungi and algae. All IAPT awards are named after prominent botanists whose work was relevant to that award, and we want to continue this tradition by naming this new award to honor the Distinguished Service provided by Vicki Funk. Vicki gave vast amounts of her time in service to IAPT and other organizations to support plant taxonomy, systematics, biogeography, student training, and many other causes. While many of us know Vicki for her research contributions, it is important to highlight her selfless long-term service to the botanical community.

The Vicki Funk Award for Distinguished Service will not be given regularly, like our other awards, but will be awarded occasionally when the opportunity arises, and exceptional candidates are identified. Council will establish an award committee to administer the selection of individuals for this award. The first award winner will be announced in the near future.