BSA Spotlight Series graphic featuring Sara Sofía Pedraza Narváez, a graduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles. The top section shows the BSA Spotlight Series logo alongside text introducing Sara. The bottom section features a photo of Sara, a young woman with long brown hair in a ponytail, smiling and wearing a dark blue Columbia jacket with a maroon backpack, standing in front of a scenic lake and green mountain landscape. A dark green text box describes her research on climate variation, thermal adaptation, and genetic diversification in tropical tree species in the Colombian Andes, using field physiology and genomics. The graphic directs readers to learn more at www.botany.org.

Meet our newest #BSASpotlight, Sara Sofía Pedraza Narváez, BSA Student Rep and UCLA grad student!

Her research explores how climate variation in the Colombian Andes drives thermal adaptation & genetic diversification in tropical tree groups.

Learn more about Sara here: botany.org/home/careers...

A man stands in front of a lush green waterfall surrounded by moss-covered rock walls and a clear pool. He wears a brown hoodie layered over a gray shirt and khaki pants, with binoculars hanging from a strap around his neck. On the right side of the image is a dark green text box describing his research. At the top, a banner reads: “Our newest spotlight is on Emmanuel Chukwuma, a Graduate Student at the University of Arkansas,” alongside a circular BSA Spotlight Series logo featuring a microscope and leaves.

Our Nov #BSASpotlight highlights Emmanuel Chukwuma, a Ph.D. student studying the evolution & biogeography of parasitic plants. His research combines fieldwork, herbarium collections, & molecular tools to reveal how history & environment shape biodiversity.

Learn more: botany.org/home/careers...

A promotional graphic for the BSA Spotlight Series. At the top left is a green and teal circular logo with a stylized microscope and the words “BSA Spotlight Series.” To the right, printed text reads: “Our newest spotlight is on Nicole Mitidieri-Rivera, a Graduate Student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.” Below this, on the left, is a photo of a smiling woman standing in a forest. She wears glasses, a wide-brimmed sun hat, a blue field shirt, and holds a cluster of green figs in one hand. Dense vegetation fills the background. On the right is a green text box that reads: “Nicole investigates the evolution and ecological success of Neotropical strangler figs (Ficus sect. Americanae), integrating phylogenomics, taxonomy, and morphometrics to clarify species boundaries and reveal diversification patterns across the genus.” At the bottom, smaller text says: “To learn more, visit www.botany.org."

Our October #BSASpotlight features Nicole Mitidieri-Rivera, a Graduate Student at UW–Madison! 🌿

Learn about Nicole's current research, how she came to be in the field of botany, & some helpful advice: botany.org/home/careers...

Want to be the next Spotlight? Visit: botany.org/home/careers...

Graphic for the BSA Spotlight Series. Title reads: “Our newest spotlight is on Charli Minsavage-Davis, a graduate student at Georgetown University.” On the right, text explains: “Charli studies the evolutionary biology of Spartina patens, a salt marsh foundation species threatened by sea-level rise. By combining quantitative modeling and next-generation sequencing, Charli is uncovering how asexual reproduction shapes genetic diversity and resilience in coastal ecosystems.” Background image shows Charli smiling in a grassy marsh, wearing a tank top and bandana. In the distance, people are working in the marsh with red flags marking research plots. At the bottom: “To learn more, visit www.botany.org.”

Our newest #BSASpotlight features Charli Minsavage-Davis, a grad student at Georgetown University.

Charli studies the evolutionary biology of Spartina patens, uncovering how asexual reproduction shapes diversity and resilience in salt marshes.

Learn more: botany.org/home/careers...

#IamaBotanist

A graduate student, Sarita Munoz-Gomez, wearing a black mask and black shirt, works carefully with green potted plants inside a greenhouse. She is using test tubes held in a bright blue rack while handling plant stems and flowers. Text on the graphic highlights her research on sex determination in Baccharis species at Clemson University, her previous work on floral pigmentation in Mimulus pictus, and her passion for science communication, illustration, and making plant biology accessible. The image includes the BSA Spotlight Series logo and website link (www.botany.org).

Meet our August #BSASpotlight, Sarita Munoz-Gomez!

Sarita is a graduate student at Clemson University investigating sex determination in Baccharis species using genomic and developmental approaches.

🌱 Learn more about Sarita on her BSA Spotlight page: botany.org/home/careers...

#IamaBotanist

This image includes a photo of Rachel Benway and the BSA Spotlight logo. It also describes a little about Rachel and her BSA Spotlight. To see more information, visit: https://botany.org/home/careers-jobs/careers-in-botany/bsa-spotlight-series/rachel-benway.html

🌿 Introducing Rachel L. Benway, our second July #BSASpotlight — and the 50th Spotlight in our program!

Rachel is a graduate student at Syracuse University studying fungal ecology.

Learn more about Rachel’s research & how she chose fungal ecology: botany.org/home/careers...

#IamaBotanist

A promotional graphic for the BSA Spotlight Series featuring Whitney Murchison-Kastner, a graduate student at Tulane University. The image shows Whitney on a sunny forest trail, wearing sunglasses and carrying a baby in a backpack carrier. Text explains that she investigates the genetic basis of parallel evolution in two Mimulus species adapted to rocky, drought-prone habitats.

Meet #BSASpotlight Whitney Murchison-Kastner (Tulane University), who studies how parallel evolution shapes similar traits in Mimulus species adapting to harsh, rocky environments — and the genetic basis behind it.

botany.org/home/careers...

#IamaBotanist

Victoria Martinez Mercado leading scientists and educators since 1893

Meet Victoria Martinez Mercado (Northwestern & Chicago Botanic Garden), a #BSASpotlight! She is studying pawpaw (Asimina triloba) — the biggest edible fruit native to N. America — developing pollen preservation methods to help conserve this seed-banking-resistant species.

A BSA Spotlight Series graphic featuring Adam Abdullahi, a Graduate Student at the University of Pennsylvania. The top of the graphic includes the BSA Spotlight Series logo, a microscope with leaves. The main text introduces Adam and highlights his research on grass ecophysiology and evolution, particularly the repeated evolution of the C4 photosynthetic system in grasses. He uses mathematical models to study anatomical and biochemical reconfigurations in C4 grasses. On the left, there's a black-and-white photo of Adam smiling, wearing glasses, a beanie, and a plaid shirt, with a laboratory setting in the background. The bottom of the graphic directs viewers to learn more at www.botany.org.

We are excited to feature Adam Abdullahi, a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, as our latest #BSASpotlight!

Discover what Adam is researching, how he found his passion for botany, and even some of his hobbies by visiting: botany.org/home/careers...

#IamaBotanist

A photo of Naomi Volain, a long-time BSA member and botanical cartoonist, holding a large avocado in front of a green background. The graphic introduces the November 2024 BSA Spotlight Series and highlights her career bridging science, education, and art, focusing on botanical sciences and creative communication. The design includes a link to her work at naomivolain.com and encourages viewers to visit www.botany.org for more information.

Meet long-time BSA member Naomi Volain, our November #BSASpotlight! Noami is a botanical cartoonist blending science, art, & education to inspire curiosity.

Discover her work at naomivolain.com

#IamaBotanist

Image of Dennis Wm. Stevenson in a laboratory setting, using a ladle to pour liquid nitrogen over plant materials on a table. He is a faculty member at the New York Botanical Garden and long-time BSA member. The text in the image highlights that Dennis discovered his passion for botany during a sophomore course, influenced by his farm upbringing, and has since had a career in plant anatomy, systematics, and cycad biology, with a strong focus on cladistics. To learn more, visit www.botany.org.

Our latest BSA Spotlight is Dr. Dennis Wm. Stevenson, a long-time member of BSA, and a faculty member at the New York Botanical Garden.

To learn more about Dennis, his research, and his journey as a botanical scientist, visit: botany.org/home/careers...

#BSASpotlight #IamaBotanist

Image of Vikas Garhwal, a graduate student at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, sitting in a lab wearing an orange vest and gloves, preparing plant samples. The text highlights Vikas’s goal to enhance agricultural resilience to climate change and secure food sources for future generations, focusing on MYC3 and MYC4 transcription factors in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Meet Vikas Garhwal, a grad student at IISER, and our latest #BSASpotlight! His work focuses on enhancing agricultural resilience to climate change.

Learn about his research and how he came to the field of botany by visiting: botany.org/home/careers...

#BSAstudents #IamaBotanist