UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jill Hamilton, associate professor of ecosystem science and management, Joseph E. Ibberson Chair in Silviculture Research for Pennsylvania, and director of the Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics, has been named associate director of the Penn State Plant Institute, part of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.
"We are delighted to have Jill join our efforts to build and support the plant science community at Penn State through the Plant Institute," said Director Mark Guiltinan, J. Franklin Styer Professor of Horticultural Botany and professor of plant molecular biology. "Jill has deep experience in plant science research as director of the Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics and the Joseph E. Ibberson Chair in Silviculture Research for Pennsylvania. She brings her enthusiasm for innovation and leadership. As a member of the Plant Institute leadership team, Jill will contribute to the Institute's broader mission and priorities, with initial areas of focus including advancing cross-institute collaborations and supporting the Plant Innovation Complex Launch Team."
Hamilton said she is looking forward to helping build improved foundations for plant sciences at Penn State while sparking collaborations that extend the reach and capacity of plant research at the University.
"Broadly, I am excited to lead activities that are establishing new research infrastructure for plant sciences research at Penn State that will foster internal and external research collaborations that enhance the impact and capacity for plant research at Penn State," Hamilton said.
Among the specific initiatives Hamilton will lead as associate director is a joint effort between the Plant Institute — supported by the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences — and the Plant Resilience Institute at Michigan State University. The partnership will create a collaborative research symposium, exchange program and funding opportunity to support plant research, drawing on engagement from several Penn State units, including the Center for Root and Rhizosphere Biology and the Schatz Center.
"This is a new initiative led by the Plant Institute with several engaged units across the University initiated to foster cross-institute collaborations that build upon institutional research excellence in the plant sciences," Hamilton said. "This initiative will broaden our impact, foster existing and develop new collaborations, and create networks that may compete for national research center and training awards focused on the plant sciences. We are thrilled to have Huck's support for this unique cross-institutional collaborative initiative."
Hamilton will also continue her work with the Plant Innovation Complex Launch Team, building on a U.S. Department of Agriculture research infrastructure grant proposal submitted this summer. She will take a leadership role in developing a faculty advisory board for the complex and in coordinating with a range of stakeholders, including Penn State institutes and colleges as well as industry, state, federal and nongovernmental partners.
"I will continue to play a leadership role on the team as the project moves forward with particular focus establishing a Plant Innovation Complex faculty advisory board and activities that facilitate development with diverse stakeholders," Hamilton said. "The response we received from diverse stakeholders for the grant this summer was impressive, and my hope is to maintain and grow that vision working alongside our partners."
Hamilton joined Penn State's Department of Ecosystem Science and Management in 2021 as director of the Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics and the Ibberson Chair in Silviculture Research. Her lab uses genomic and genetic tools to study how forest trees adapt to environmental change, with long-running projects on ash, poplar, pine and spruce species that inform conservation and restoration efforts across North America. She participated in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences Leadership Fellows program for the 2025-26 academic year and currently serves as president of the Western Forest Genetics Association.
Prior to joining Penn State, Hamilton was an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at North Dakota State University. She holds a doctoral degree in forest science from the University of British Columbia, a master's degree in biology from Queen's University in Ontario, and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Winnipeg.