Paul Williams

Professor, Department of Plant Biology
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Wisconsin Fast Plants Homepage
wilpaul@macc.wisc.edu

Biography

Paul Williams is an emeritus professor who has spent his entire career in the Dept. of Plant Pathology at the Univ. of Wis. Madison where his research centered on the physiology of host-parasite relations and the genetics and breeding of disease resistant crucifer vegetables. Williams has taught in the Biology Core Curriculum Program at the UW-Madison for over 25 years. He developed rapid-cycling brassicas (Rbr), widely known as Fast Plants, and distributes seed of genetic stocks through the Crucifer Genetics Cooperative (wfp@fastplants.cals.wisc.edu). During the past 15 years, he has been involved in precollege and college teacher continuing education. The Wisconsin Fast Plants Program centers on the development of plant-based instructional materials and on teacher training at all levels, K-college. Hallmarks of the program are low-cost, accessible materials (Bottle Biology) and inquiry-centered, living plants.

Presentations:

• The Future of Plant Biology
  PKAL 2000 Summer Institute
  Keystone Resort and Conference Center
  Keystone, Colorado
  July 23 - 26, 2000

• "Doing" Plant Biology in a Large Classroom
  PKAL 2000 Summer Institute
  Keystone Resort and Conference Center
  Keystone, Colorado
  July 16 - 29, 2000