Image: We are saddened to share that Joe Lynn Key, Professor Emeritus of Plant Biology, passed away on Thursday, August 29, 2024 at the age of 90. Joe completed his PhD in 1959 at the University of Illinois, where he worked with Jack Hanson studying auxin physiology. From there, he went to the University of California, Davis on an NSF postdoctoral fellowship, and then accepted an Associate Professorship at Purdue University in 1962, where he was promoted to Professor of Plant Physiology in 1966. Attracted by the commitment of a new president to build the research enterprise of a land-grant institution, he moved to UGA in 1969. Joe is one of the founding fathers of plant molecular biology and his laboratory became a magnet for young scientists interested in studying the molecular mechanisms of plant physiological responses. In addition to his intensive research he also oversaw an expansion of faculty in Genetics and Molecular Plant Biology. After a brief leave of absence to serve as Executive Vice President for Research at the Agrigenetics Corporation in Boulder, Colorado (1983-1985), he was appointed as Vice President of Research in 1985. He served in this position until he retired in 2000, while continuing to welcome postdocs and students into his research laboratory. As Vice President of Research, Joe played an instrumental role in elevating UGA’s research enterprise. His accomplishments included establishing the UGA Plant Center, moving the CCRC (Complex Carbohydrate Research Center) to UGA, and recruiting CCRC founding directors and many other outstanding scholars to UGA. Joe also helped establish the USDA Competitive Research Grants Office (CRGO) and served as the founding Chief of the Office from 1977 to 1979. The program, formerly known as National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRICGP), was one of the most significant changes in the USDA history and a paradigm shift to support university investigator-initiated basic research in the agricultural sciences. In recognition of his accomplishments, Joe was named a Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists (2007). Other honors include the Charles Reid Barnes Lifetime Membership Award (2000) and the Adolph E. Gude, Jr. award (2016). Joe was a visionary leader at the forefront of plant molecular biology, scientifically - and very importantly - also for community-building and policy shaping at UGA, in the US and beyond. He is greatly missed by many. Our thoughts are with his family! From the family: We invite those who knew and loved Joe to celebrate his life on Sunday, September 22 at 2:00 pm at the State Botanical Gardens Chapel in Athens. A reception will follow. We hope you will wear red and black, as Joe loved the Georgia Bulldogs.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Joe L. Key Endowment Fund at the University of Georgia to support graduate education in the plant sciences and maintain his legacy in research excellence and innovation.
