Biographies

Zainab Pashaei, the 2019 National Herb Garden Intern and Washington, D.C. native, is a proud at-home grower of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Zainab graduated cum laude with her Bachelor of Science in Community Health at George Mason University. After graduating, she re-discovered her love of science with plants and returned to school for graduate studies in Landscape Design at George Washington University. The courses at GWU enlightened her on plant health, propagation, identification, and finding the right place for the right plants. She loves to create floral art and enjoys traveling.

Gail Selfridge, a member at large of The Society, is also a long-time member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and the American Society of Botanical Artists. In 2015 she received the Anne Ophelia Dowden Award from ASBA to fund the Colorful Leaves publication/program. Gail regularly writes and creates illustrations for books, scientific journals, and museum publications. She served as Art Director for the Kansas State University Gardens under a grant from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust. She has written and drawn for The Herbarist previously.

Lois Sutton, PhD, serves as the chair of The Herbarist committee. She believes that if you belong to an organization, you should actively support and participate in its programs. To this end she and her husband, HSA member Andy MacPhillimy, converted their invasive plant-filled Asheville, NC yard to a GreenBridgesTM garden! She received the Helen DeConway Little Medal of Honor in 2019 and is a Past President of The Society (2008 – 2010).

Barbara J. Williams is a member at large in the Great Lakes District, a winner of the Nancy Putnam Howard Award for Excellence in Horticulture, and a retired public garden director. She drew over 100 botanical drawings that are included in Manual of Herbaceaous Ornamental Plants by Steven Still. She has served as HSA Secretary and has chaired several committees for The Society, including communications, research grants, and promising plants. She now sits on The Herbarist committee. She has written for The Herbarist previously.