Spotlight on Success: AgTech ecosystem accomplishments and contributions
We are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our community members and agtech ecosystem partners that have been recently honored with prestigious awards and well-deserved recognition. From groundbreaking research and impactful education to intentional community-building, our community exemplifies excellence across disciplines. Join us in applauding these remarkable accomplishments!
Tessa Burch-Smith, PhD – Dual Impact as Scientist and Mentor
Associate Member Tessa Burch-Smith, PhD, recently received the Excellence in Education Award from the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) recognizing her leadership in teaching, mentoring and outreach.
The ASPB acknowledged Burch-Smith’s effectiveness and impact in the classroom and the breadth of her teaching career, which has covered a diverse range of topics related to plant biology, including advanced cell biology, genomics, molecular biology, genetics, scientific communication, and microscopy. She has been a mentor to many postdocs, graduate students and more than 40 undergraduate students who conducted research in her lab. The Excellence in Education Award also recognizes her inclusive teaching efforts, particularly her advocacy for students in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.
At the Danforth Center, Burch-Smith and the Director of the Advanced Bioimaging Laboratory Kirk Czymmek, PhD, are co-directors of our National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. Her lab also hosts the Deaf and H/H pre-college outreach summer program for high school students who are interested in pursuing careers in STEM education.
The ASPB emphasized Burch-Smith’s exemplary contributions to the field including the workshops and professional development sessions that have led to institutional change and helped to empower others to be inclusive mentors.
Kristine Callis-Duehl, PhD – Botanical Society of America Impact Award
The Botanical Society of America has selected Kristine Callis-Duehl, PhD, Driemeyer Executive Director of Education, to receive its prestigious Impact Award for her contributions to advancing diversity, accessibility, equity, and inclusion in botanical scholarship, research, and education.
Callis-Duehl was selected for her unwavering commitment to inclusivity and strategic efforts to expand access to botanical sciences, particularly for traditionally underserved and under-resourced communities. At the forefront of these initiatives is the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition Innovation Center (JJK FAN) in East St. Louis, a project Callis-Duehl co-founded. JJK FAN offers STEAM+Ag education and community programs to over 200 youth with pathways for growth daily, igniting economic empowerment and community development.
Callis-Duehl developed the Authentic Research (ARE) Experiences program at the Danforth Center, providing students from disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to participate in genuine scientific inquiry. The ARE program immerses over 500 students yearly in the scientific process, fostering critical thinking skills and a deep understanding of research methodologies, connecting theoretical knowledge with practical, hands-on application.
Callis-Duehl also serves in a leadership role in a collaborative effort with St. Louis Community College. The EMBARK program bridges the gap between high school education and industry expectations, enabling students to earn a Life Science Lab Assistant certificate by graduation. By focusing on students in the most underserved areas of St. Louis, this program has prepared students for careers in bioscience laboratories and provided them with a favorable position for continued education in bioscience and biotechnology degrees.
Veena Veena, PhD – Distinguished Service Award
Veena Veena, PhD, MBA, director of our Plant Transformation Facility, received the Distinguished Service Award from the Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB). SIVB is a professional society devoted to fostering the exchange of knowledge of in vitro biology of cells, tissues, and organs from both plants and animals, including humans. The award recognizes people who have demonstrated and given extra effort in support of the SIVB programs and endeavors.
Veena's team at the Danforth Center is at the forefront of advancing technologies for plant transformation, tissue culture, and precision genome editing to accelerate both fundamental and applied research in plant biology. The state-of-the-art plant transformation facility offers affordable access to advanced equipment and specialized expertise serving both academic and commercial research communities.
"This work is incredibly exciting to me because advancement in plant transformation, tissue culture, and precision genome editing technologies offers unprecedented potential to generate new crops with improved traits such as enhanced nutritional quality, increased yield, and resilience to changing growing conditions that was previously unimaginable,” Veena said.
Sam Wang, PhD – Terry Galliard Medal
Xuemin “Sam” Wang, PhD, Member; E. Desmond Lee Professor, University of Missouri - St. Louis, received the Terry Galliard Medal at the International Symposium on Plant Lipids in recognition of his outstanding career achievements. The Terry Galliard Medal commemorates the legacy of Terry Galliard, who organized the first International Symposium on Plant Lipids in 1974 and highlights the contributions of distinguished plant lipid scientists and their impact on the field.
Through pioneering the fields of phospholipases, lipid-mediated signaling, and lipidomics, Wang and his team have developed methods to study hundreds of lipids simultaneously, providing a comprehensive view of lipid behavior, and to understand lipid functions in plants.
Wang expressed his gratitude for the collective efforts of his team: "This award is a recognition of my former and current students, postdocs, researchers, and collaborators for their excellent work and contributions to the field. It brings me special joy and pride to work with talented students and colleagues and carry out internationally recognized research.”
Karla Roeber – Member of the Year
The St. Louis AgriBusiness Club named Vice President of Public and Government Affairs Karla Roeber 2023 Outstanding Member of the Year. The award recognizes a person who has demonstrated involvement and leadership in the club’s activities. Beyond accomplishments within the club, the awardee must be someone who has demonstrated and promoted the importance of food and agriculture within the region via community or national leadership through involvement in civic, religious, or other organizations and public service activities.
Karla has more than 25 years of experience in communications, government, and community relations. At the Danforth Center her team works to broaden awareness of the importance of plant science research, innovation, technology development to bring new products that have the potential to improve sustainable agriculture worldwide.
“The St. Louis Agribusiness Club has played a critical role in the growth and success of our ag innovation ecosystem,” said Roeber. “I was honored to receive this award and encourage everyone to become a member and engage!”
39 North Innovation Ecosystem Shines at St. Louis Inno’s Fire Awards
Our agtech innovation community set the stage ablaze at St. Louis INNO's 2024 Fire Awards bringing home two awards. The Fire Awards program recognizes successful, entrepreneurial St. Louis companies across four categories. 39 North won in the Fire Starters/Community Builders category, and Danforth Technology Company portfolio company Peptyde Bio won in the Top Deals category.
“The Fire Awards honorees represent what can come from a successful community of entrepreneurs whose ideas become companies,” wrote the St. Louis Business Journal, “which grow the St. Louis economy and, perhaps, eventually sell, allowing the entrepreneurs who started it to do it all over again.”
HabiTerre and Plastomics, Inc., two of the companies in the Center’s Innovation Incubator (IN2) were also recognized as finalists in the Startups on Fire-Firms under Five Years Old and Startups on Fire-Firms more than Five Years Old categories, respectively.
Congratulations to all the outstanding honorees in our community!