Biologist wins prestigious Women of Discovery Award

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/dudley1.jpg” caption=”Susan Dudley, associate professor of biology, has been awarded the 2010 Women of Discovery Award by WINGS WorldQuest, an organization which supports and promotes the groundbreaking work of female explorers and scientists. File photo.”]Susan Dudley, associate professor of biology, has been awarded the 2010 Women of Discovery Award (WOD) by WINGS WorldQuest, an organization which supports and promotes the groundbreaking work of female explorers and scientists.

Dudley, who has conducted research in the woodlands, beaches and subarctic regions of North America, received the WOD Earth Award for her discoveries on plant kin recognition. As an evolutionary ecologist, she has researched how plants change their shape and biomass allocation in the presence of other plants.

This month, her research – co-authored by graduate student Guillermo Murphy – was published in the American Journal of Botany on Impatiens wildflowers, which were found to exhibit altruistic growing habits when potted with their siblings.

“The Woman of Discovery WorldQuest awardees include women working in remote areas, women engaged in work requiring tremendous physical courage, and women who have made fundamental scientific discoveries,” says Dudley. “It is an honour to be included among this group for my finding that plants can recognize their kin.”

Dudley is among five recipients from the United States and Canada who will receive a cash prize of $10,000 US and will be honored at a gala event in New York City in April.

Given in categories of Earth, Sea, Air & Space, Humanity, Courage, Field Research and Lifetime Achievement, the awards recognize contributions to world knowledge through exploration and provide funding to support continued research.