Registration now open! Smithsonian Botanical Symposium 1 June 2015: Opening Symposium 2-5 June 2015: Conference Continues Washington, D.C. http://botany.si.edu/sbs/ “Next Generation Pteridology: An International Conference on Lycophyte & Fern Research” Presented by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany In collaboration with the United States Botanic Garden Supported by the American Fern Society, the Journal of Systematics and Evolution, the International Organization of Plant Biosystematists, the International Association of Plant Taxonomy, and the Cuatrecasas Family Foundation The past decade has seen remarkable advances in our understanding of fern and lycophyte biology. New sources of data have emerged and novel methods for analyzing these data are being developed. At the same time, many traditional approaches have been revitalized as their unique and specific contributions are more fully realized. With a recent influx of students and early career researchers, the international pteridological community continues to grow. The pace of scientific discovery is accelerating, new parts of the globe are being included, and the conservation of these important species in a rapidly changing world is being investigated. This conference aims to bring together the world’s pteridologists, and others with an interest in ferns and lycophytes, to celebrate the progress to date and to forecast developments still on the horizon. An opening symposium will kick things off on June 1st at the National Museum of Natural History. Free and open to the public, this symposium will feature invited speakers exploring a variety of topics, from fern genomics and development to horticulture and conservation. An evening reception and poster session at the United States Botanic Garden will provide an informal setting to delve deeper into current pteridological research. The conference will then continue for four additional days of focused scientific talks and workshops. Abstracts for poster and oral presentations may be submitted online at http://botany.si.edu/sbs/. The deadline for abstract submission is April 1. Register for the symposium, the conference, or both at http://botany.si.edu/sbs. We are pleased to announce the lineup of invited speakers for the June 1st opening symposium: Tony Avent – Juniper Level Botanic Garden Marian Chau – University of Hawaiii Patricia Gensel – University of North Carolina Robbin Moran – New York Botanical Garden Kathleen Pryer – Duke University Hanna Tuomisto – University of Turku, Finland Alejandra Vasco – Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Masamitsu Wada – Kyushu University, Japan Eddie Watkins – Colgate University Paul Wolf – Utah State University Program Schedule: Monday, 1 June (Free - registration is required) 8:30am-5:30pm Opening symposium 6:15 pm Reception and poster session Tuesday, 2 June 8:30am-5:30 pm Colloquia and contributed talks Wednesday, 3 June 8:30am-5:30 pm Colloquia and contributed talks Thursday, 4 June 8:30am-5:30 pm Colloquia and contributed talks 6:15 pm Conference dinner Friday, 5 June 8:00am-12:00 pm Workshops 12:30 pm -7:30 pm Field trip
