Distinguished Professor Joan Bennett was named Distinguished Mycologist by the Mycological Society of America (MSA). MSA's Distinguished Mycologist Award is awarded annually to an individual who has established an outstanding mycological career. This is one of the highest awards bestowed by the MSA and marks a distinguished career. Nominees for the award are evaluated on the basis of quality, originality, and quantity of their published research, and on the basis of service to the MSA or to the field of mycology in general. Dr. Bennett was presented with this award during MSA's Annual Meeting June 10-12, 2024 in Toronto.
Prof. Bennett is a fungal geneticist who did pioneering work on the clustered genes involved in the biosynthesis of fungal secondary metabolites, specifically aflatoxins. She joined the faculty at Tulane University in 1971 and continued collaborating with scientists at SRRC on aflatoxin biosynthesis and genetics for over 30 years. In 2005, the failure of levees after Hurricane Katrina flooded her New Orleans home, and the subsequent mold contamination caused her to interact with fungal metabolism in an unsettling, and too personal new dimension. The revolting smell in her water-logged home inspired her to switch her research focus to studying the volatile compounds emitted by filamentous fungi. In 2006, she moved to Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, as a distinguished professor in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, where her laboratory has investigated the physiological activity of fungal volatile organic compounds using genetic model systems.
Prof. Bennett was elected to the U. S. National Academy of Sciences in 2005 and to the American Academy for Arts & Sciences in 2021. She is past president of both the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (2001-2002) and the American Society for Microbiology (1990-1991). In addition, she has served as past vice president of the British Mycological Society and the International Union of Microbiological Sciences.