Conner begins term as president-elect of the American Society of Naturalists

Three new officers elected last year by the American Society of Naturalists—ASN—have begun their terms.

Among them is Jeff Conner, professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Plant Biology and resident faculty at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. Conner was chosen to serve, beginning as president-elect, of the 140-year-old society for a five-year term that ends in 2027.

Conner is joined by two fellow officers who also began new terms in January 2023.

• Lauren Buckley, professor of biology at the University of Washington.
  Vice president-elect, serving 2023-25
• Santiago Ramírez, associate professor of evolution and ecology at the University of California Davis
  Treasurer, serving 2023-25

Jeff Conner

Jeff Conner

Jeff Conner is an internationally recognized expert in plant ecology and evolution, specifically the role of natural selection on species adaptation in a changing or variable environment, the speed of evolutionary change in natural populations, and the various constraints on the course or outcomes of evolution. He has performed seminal work on the role of floral traits on fitness in wild radish, an agricultural weed; and on milkweed, host plant of the iconic monarch butterfly. He also has studied the impact of herbivory on the interactions of plants with their pollinators.

He is the author of some 90 publications, including a premiere textbook on ecological genetics, “A Primer of Ecological Genetics.” He has held editorships at eight journals, reviewed manuscripts for more than 30 journals, and served on multiple national and international grant review panels.

Conner came to KBS in 1996 as an assistant professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology. He served the Station as interim director from 2018 to 2020. He also has contributed to the greater scientific community through leadership positions in the Ecological Society of America and as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The College of Natural Science has recognized the excellence of Conner’s mentoring with its Outstanding Graduate Advisor Award in 2003 and its Junior Faculty Mentoring Award in 2018. The college awarded him its Outstanding Faculty Award in 2021. He also was honored with a 2022 William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award.

“To be elected president—by one’s fellow colleagues around the world—of such a long-standing and prestigious scientific society is a tremendous honor,” said KBS Director Fredric Janzen. We are thrilled to have Jeff represent MSU, KBS, the College of Natural Science, and the Department of Plant Biology in this leadership role at the forefront of the intersection of the major fields of ecology and evolution.”

“The American Society of Naturalists is one of the oldest biology organizations in North America, founded in 1883, so it is certainly a major honor to be elected president,” said Conner.

American Society of Naturalists

The American Society of Naturalists is the oldest scientific society dedicated to the study of ecology, evolution, and behavior. The goal of the society is to advance and to diffuse knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles so as to enhance the conceptual unification of the biological sciences.

Shortly after its formation, the society held its first meeting in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1883. There were 109 original members. Today, the ASN touts a thriving network of scientists dedicated to the integration of knowledge across the biological sciences.