From: Subject: Professor's Work Named Top 100 Science Story by Discover Magazine Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2009 14:39:54 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0064_01C96F43.7979B0C0" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0064_01C96F43.7979B0C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: mhtml:file://C:\Documents and Settings\williams\Desktop\Professor's Work Named Top 100 Science Story by Discover Magazine.mht Professor's Work Named Top 100 Science = Story by Discover Magazine

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Professor's Work Named Top 100 Science Story by Discover = Magazine

December 15, 2008

KNOXVILLE -- A research article by Joe Williams, an assistant = professor of=20 ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Tennessee, = Knoxville, has=20 been named one of the Top 100 Science Stories of 2008 by Discover=20 magazine.

Williams' article, which helped explain the amazing = diversity=20 in flowering plants, was published in the Proceedings of the National = Academy of=20 Sciences in July.

Joe=20 WilliamsThe findings in Williams' article were significant in = that the=20 tremendous diversity of flowering plants -- known as angiosperms -- has = puzzled=20 scientists from the time of Charles Darwin, 150 years ago. Williams = showed that=20 the ability of angiosperms to quickly and efficiently move sperm from = pollen=20 grain to egg cell was a key step in the evolutionary diversification of=20 flowers.

"The story is kind of complicated, so I'm glad they = recognized=20 it," said Williams.

Bruce Bursten, dean of UT Knoxville's College = of Arts=20 and Sciences, said the recognition is meaningful not just for Williams = but for=20 the college and the university as a whole.

"We in the college are = extremely proud of this major recognition of the scholarly activities of = Professor Williams," said Bursten. "He epitomizes the quest for = excellence we=20 have in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the = College of=20 Arts and Sciences. In this commitment to cutting-edge research that = advances=20 science, we strive to increase the national prominence of our university = and the=20 state of Tennessee."

Since the article was published, Williams = has=20 presented his findings at a number of conferences and heard from = colleagues=20 across the spectrum of biology, many of whom would not normally pay = attention to=20 articles examining questions of evolution.

"Talking with people = who don't=20 normally look at evolution, they're eating it up," said Williams. "It's = not that=20 I did anything new, though I looked at some previously unexamined = species. I=20 just put together a lot of existing information in a way that made=20 sense."

Williams says he will continue to pursue the question of = how=20 ancient flowering plants evolved a completely new reproductive biology,=20 including studies that will seek the specific genes that govern how = pollen gets=20 sperm to the egg.

Williams' work was funded by UT Knoxville and = the=20 National Science Foundation.

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Contacts:

Jay Mayfield = (865-974-9409, jay.mayfield@tennessee.edu)

Joe Williams = (865-974-6202,=20 joewill@utk.edu)

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