Jonathan Wendel, Distinguished Professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology, and BCB Faculty member was awarded two international professorships for 2019, including a Fulbright Scholar. During the first half of the year, he will be a Leverhulme Professor at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, London. He will mentor early career researchers to help enhance their scientific productivity and understanding of career opportunities, deliver a course of Leverhulme Lectures at Kew and seminars elsewhere in the UK, co-organize two 1-day meetings and teach masters of science students in plant and fungal taxonomy, diversity and conservation. He also will initiate additional new research collaborations with Kew scientists, and contribute to Kew’s outreach agenda.

During the fall semester, Wendel will be a 2019 Fulbright Scholar at the Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid and visit other research-intensive institutions in Spain. Planned activities include mentoring early-career researchers; teaching a short course in plant evolutionary genomics; presenting public as well as research lectures; and organizing a scientific conference on ecological and evolutionary genomics of plants, with a focus on early-career and female scientists as invited speakers.