The Barbara D. Webster Scholar Award

The Barbara D. Webster Scholar Award has been launched and will provide an annual grant of $20,000 to support the scholarship of an eligible faculty member within the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis.

To be considered, a faculty member must be tenured or on tenure-track and represent excellence in their field, exhibit the leadership ability to impact their discipline, present a unique and transformative perspective, and work to advance the representation of women in Plant Sciences.

The award honors Barbara Webster, who served as Professor of Agronomy at UC Davis from 1979-92 and Associate Vice Chancellor of Research from 1989-92. She strived to create a safe space for women to excel on campus, and was a fierce advocate for the increased participation of women and minorities in science.

“She was formidable,” said her daughter, Susan V. Webster. “She didn’t back down.”

Webster, known for her expertise on plant development and structure, was the first female faculty member to join the Department of Agronomy, which later became part of Plant Sciences. Now, the department has more than 20 women working as faculty members, and the first female chair, Gail Taylor, was named in 2017.

Susan Webster helped establish the Barbara D. Webster Scholar Award to ensure the continuation of her mother’s legacy and pioneering spirit with a generous gift to the university.

“This gift will make a tremendous impact that honors Barbara and her groundbreaking achievements as a leader and a woman in plant sciences who is fondly remembered by our long-serving faculty and staff,” said Taylor.

A display memorializing Barbara Webster, who passed away in 2017, and the Barbara Webster Scholar Award will be installed in the main lobby of the Plant and Environmental Sciences Building. To the side of the display will hang a plaque where the names of award recipients will be added each year.

The Barbara D. Webster Scholar Award will be critical for the department's continued support of faculty members who are making outstanding contributions to the advancement of women and minorities working in plant sciences.

The aims of the department and college are reflected in the goals of Barbara D. Webster Scholar Award itself, which are: (1) to reward excellence and research in Plant Sciences; (2) to develop systemic approaches to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic Plant Science careers; (3) to develop innovative and sustainable ways to promote gender equity in the Plant Science academic workforce; and (4) to provide leadership in advancing gender equity and the intersection of gender and other identities in academic careers.

For more information, please check out the official webpage for the Barbara D. Webster Scholar Award.