UC Riverside botanist to receive Paul Ecke Jr. Award of Excellence

Jodie Holt, a professor of plant physiology at the University of California, Riverside and the botanical consultant for James Cameron's film Avatar, will receive the Paul Ecke Jr. Award of Excellence "for her life's work as a distinguished scientist and educator" at a ceremony beginning at 5 p.m., Sept. 11, 2010, at the San Diego Botanic Garden, 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas, Calif.

"This award reflects the high regard that the San Diego Botanic Garden holds for botanists, and I am delighted to receive it," said Holt, who chaired the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences through June 2010.

Holt shaped Sigourney Weaver's character as a botanist in Avatar and helped create and name plants for the film. Her involvement with the film and her subsequent outreach to the public helped raise awareness of botany and its importance in people's imagination. At UC Riverside, her lab conducts research in the ecology of weedy and invasive plants in order to contribute ecologically sound weed management practices.

Provided by University of California - Riverside