Dr. Dior R. Kelley will present on her research Stem Cell Regulation Via Hormonal and Sugar Signaling  at the Feb 9, 2021 AAUW Ames meeting.

Dr. Kelley was appointed Assistant Professor, Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology in 2019, after coming to Iowa State University in 2015 as Adjunct Assistant Professor in the same department. She received her Ph.D. in Plant Biology at University of California-Davis and B.S. in Chemistry from UC-Santa Cruz. Additionally, she studied Plant Biology at Salk Institute for Biological Studies and UC-San Diego.

In addition to contributing to published articles, Dr. Kelley has developed curricular materials,  instructed undergraduates and graduate students, and served as ISU CALS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee member to broaden the participation of groups underrepresentated in STEM.  Among her outreach efforts, Dr.Kelley served as an instructor for a High School Science Day (2011) and developed ‘Botany4Tots’ preschool program (2019-present).

Dr. Kelley is a 2019-2020 AAUW Fellow.

Dr. Martha Ibore will present on her research Genes and Gene Networks Controlling Leaf Angle in Sorghum Bicolor in the second portion of the program.

Dr. Ibore was appointed Postdoctoral Reseach Associate, Department of Agronomy, ISU (2019-present). She first came to Iowa State University in 2011 as a Visiting Scholar in the Department of Agronomy, followed by appointment as Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Biophysics and Molecular Biology  (2012–2017) and Research Technician (2017-2018.) She received her Ph.D. in Genetics and Genomics, Plant Breeding, ISU (2017) and B.S. in Crop Science, Makerere University, Uganda (2011).

Her appointment with Dr. Salas Fernandez is 100% research, and her current projects are studying the genetic control of plant architecture traits of agronomic importance, such as leaf angle in sorghum. Dr. Ibore also mentors graduate students in the department, mostly in data analysis.

Awards include Postdoctoral Success Award, Iowa State University, Teaching Excellence Award, Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, ISU,  and Professor Spotlight, Grand View University.

Affiliations: American Association of University Women/Fellowship Finalist, Graduate Women in Science, and American Society for Plant Biologists.