Two scientists in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences recently were commended by national organizations for their research in their respective fields.
Donald R. Ort, professor of plant biology, was honored with the Charles F. Kettering Award for his work on plant photosynthesis. His research takes a hard look at how environmental factors inhibit photosynthesis. He has been researching the underlying causes and molecular basis for the inhibition of photosynthesis during cold or drought.
Ort was also instrumental in creating soyFACE, an open-air, gas-concentrating field system, which allows scientists to study the effects of increased carbon dioxide and ozone on photosynthesis in crops. These studies could prove extremely important if the ozone layer continues to degenerate.
Robert Rauber, professor of atmospheric sciences, was named as a fellow of the American Meteorological Society. Severe weather, from tornadoes and blizzards to hurricanes and floods, is his forte. He co-authored the popular textbook Severe and Hazardous Weather: An Introduction to High Impact Meteorology. The book, now in its second edition, was written for non-technical students to help them understand the principles that govern the formation, structure, and evolution of all types of severe weather in North America.
Rauber, who is chief editor for the American Meteorological Society's Journal of Applied Meteorology, says he thrives on fieldwork. "There is nothing more exciting in atmospheric science than living through-and flying through-the weather you ultimately study."
