Joan Dingley
Encyclopedia
Dr Joan Marjore Dingley OBE (14 May 1916 – 1 January 2008) was one of the pioneer women of New Zealand
science. She worked for the DSIR
Plant Diseases Division from 1941 to 1976, becoming the head of mycology
.
She was a major research scientist in NZ for both
laboratory and field-based plant pathology, and for taxonomic mycology
.
Her research interests lay with the taxonomy of ascomycetes, especially the Hypocreales
. She rapidly became a world authority on these fungi. About 30 species of fungi have dingleyae as their species name, and the genus Dingleya was also named after her.
She wrote a major, comprehensive list of New Zealand plant diseases, published in 1969.
Dingley developed the New Zealand Fungal Herbarium, building specimen numbers from 4,000 to 35,000 by the time she retired.
Dingley also had a love for horticulture and gardening. She was a prime mover in the establishment of the Auckland Regional Botanic Gardens, and became an honorary life member of the ‘Friends’ of the gardens.
She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in June 1995, for services to botany. In 2004, Landcare Research
named one of its Auckland laboratories the JM Dingley Microbiology Laboratory in her honour. She attended the naming ceremony.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
science. She worked for the DSIR
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
Several countries have organizations called the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, abbreviated DSIR.-United Kingdom:...
Plant Diseases Division from 1941 to 1976, becoming the head of mycology
Mycology
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals , food and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or...
.
She was a major research scientist in NZ for both
laboratory and field-based plant pathology, and for taxonomic mycology
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
.
Her research interests lay with the taxonomy of ascomycetes, especially the Hypocreales
Hypocreales
The Hypocreales are an order of fungi within the class Sordariomycetes, consisting of 7 families, 237 genera, and 2647 species.Species of Hypocreales are usually recognized by their brightly colored, perithecial ascomata, or spore-producing structures...
. She rapidly became a world authority on these fungi. About 30 species of fungi have dingleyae as their species name, and the genus Dingleya was also named after her.
She wrote a major, comprehensive list of New Zealand plant diseases, published in 1969.
Dingley developed the New Zealand Fungal Herbarium, building specimen numbers from 4,000 to 35,000 by the time she retired.
Dingley also had a love for horticulture and gardening. She was a prime mover in the establishment of the Auckland Regional Botanic Gardens, and became an honorary life member of the ‘Friends’ of the gardens.
She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in June 1995, for services to botany. In 2004, Landcare Research
Landcare Research New Zealand Limited
Landcare Research is one of New Zealand's Crown Research Institutes. The focus of the research at this company is the environment, biodiversity, and sustainability.-History:...
named one of its Auckland laboratories the JM Dingley Microbiology Laboratory in her honour. She attended the naming ceremony.