The 2023 Crop Science Society of America Presidential Award was presented to Natalia de Leon due to her work in making maize Genomes to Fields possible. She is a professor in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences and a trainer in the Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics graduate program. She received her MS and PhD degrees from the UW–Madison and her research integrates genomic, phenomic and environmental information to accelerate translational research for enhanced sustainable crop productivity.

Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) President Seth Murray presented the award to de Leon at the Societies’ Award Ceremony held during the 2023 ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting in St. Louis, MO. Her plaque reads, “The Crop Science Society of America recognizes Natalia de Leon for her extensive service to society, her long-term support and commitment to students, and her outstanding national and international contributions to crop science research.”

Since 1997, the CSSA Presidential Award has been given to a person or team who has influenced the science or practice of crop production so greatly that the impact of their efforts will be enduring on future science. Their work may have enhanced the yield or quality of crops, improved the potential utility of crop products, provided break-through techniques or unique materials for progress by others, or our understanding of some aspect of crop science, but the fundamental criterion is that their influence be such a lasting and important one in the area of crops and their production, that their impact will be long lasting.