Herr honored by Southeastern biologists

John Herr has attended every annual meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists since 1960 and even made it to a few more in the years prior.

The now-retired biological sciences professor likes to joke that he would have gone to the association's inaugural meeting in 1937--but his mother and second-grade teacher wouldn't let him. Herr's dedication, both to the association and to the discipline of botany, recently reaped a just reward: the association has created a life-time achievement award and named it in his honor.

"I just love the organization," said Herr, who joined the University's faculty in 1959 and retired in 1993. He continues to come to campus every day and maintains a small research lab on seed development. "I don't know where you can get to know so many biologists from all over; we have members from 40 states and 13 countries."

Herr has been vice president and president of the 1,600-member association, and has served as archivist since 2000.

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