CBS PhD Candidates Baranski & Peirson at HSS

CBS PhD candidates Marci Baranski and Erick Pierson co-organized a panel at HSS titled, "Organisms in Changing Environments: Concepts and Contexts of Adaptability in 20th Century Plant Sciences." Erick and Marci both presented papers along with Antonine Nicoglou from the Université Paris and David Munns from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

The session brought plant sciences and agriculture to the forefront of historical discussions on ecology, evolution, and genetics. The speakers showed how scientists around the world studied plant adaptation, stability, and evolution in different experimental and agricultural environments. A common theme was the scientific controversy over genotype and environmental interactions, a key topic in the life sciences.

A unique highlight of the session was the varied backgrounds of the speakers, including three graduate students and one professor with interdisciplinary backgrounds spanning the sciences, philosophy, and history. Professor James Collins of ASU provided a commentary based on his experience in ecology, and illuminated how these historical topics are relevant to current studies of global environmental change.