Tuesday, January 7, 2025
The College of Science congratulates Dr. Kent Chapman, Regents Professor of Biochemistry, for his new role as President of the American Society of Plant Biologists.

The College of Science congratulates Dr. Kent Chapman, Regents Professor of Biochemistry, for his new role as President of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB). Dr. Chapman has been a member of the society for thirty-seven years, since his first year in graduate school. Over this time, he has served in several leadership positions in the Southern section of the ASPB, and more recently as ASPB Treasurer and Chair of the Board of Trustees. 

Kent Chapman“It is indeed a great honor to be elected President of the American Society of Plant Biologists,” said Dr. Chapman. “I believe it is important to give back to the society that has done so much to support my own professional development. I look forward to serving the society as ASPB President and help direct the many resources at ASPB in service of its members and the plant science community.” 

Dr. Chapman earned his Ph.D. in botany from Arizona State University in 1991 and afterward completed an NSF postdoctoral fellowship studying plant biochemistry at Louisiana State University. In 1993, he accepted a position as a tenure-track assistant professor at UNT. 

During his productive career, Dr. Chapman has developed an internationally recognized research program in plant biochemistry and cell biology, specifically in the area of plant lipid metabolism. 

Among his many recent professional accomplishments, Dr. Chapman was awarded the Terry Galliard Medal in 2020 for his research contributions in plant lipid biochemistry, and in 2021 he was named a Fellow of the ASPB. He also serves as the executive editor for Progress in Lipid Research and reviewing editor for The Plant Cell. In 2009, Dr. Chapman proposed and co-chaired the inaugural Gordon Research Conference on Plant Lipids, which is now a permanent biennial event. 

As a founding member of the BioDiscovery Institute, one of the four institutes of research excellence at UNT, Dr. Chapman served as the director from 2018- 2024. He remains an active member of BDI, where his current research is focused on the biogenesis of lipid droplets in plant cells, plant metabolic engineering and lipid imaging technologies. 

The American Society of Plant Biologists was founded in 1924 to promote the growth and development of plant biology, to encourage and publish research in plant biology, and to promote the interests, growth, and education of plant scientists in general. Learn more at: https://aspb.org