Dr. Hong Ma appointed Distinguished Professor of Biology

Dr. Ma's published works on floral development are noted as landmarks in developmental biology. He has accelerated his discoveries on the genetic and molecular regulation of plant development in recent years and has expanded into a new area of the reproductive biology of plants, more specifically the genetic mechanism of meiosis whereby plant gametes are formed. The importance of his work on meiosis extends to all other organisms, as Dr. Ma has discovered new genes that share conserved functions in meiosis in plants and animals.   He is a recent recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a NIH Senior Fellowship, and the Penn State Faculty Scholars Medal in Life and Health Sciences. Dr. Ma has served on numerous grant review panels for the USDA, NSF, and NIH and serves as an associate editor for the journal Plant Molecular Biology and is a co-editor in chief for the Journal of Integrative Plant Biology. He serves on four scientific advisory boards and has played a significant role in organizing several scientific meetings over the last five years.
Finally, as many of his colleagues at Penn State can attest, Dr. Ma has been exceedingly generous in his teaching, service, and mentoring other faculty.