Nina Bassuk will be awarded the prestigious Scott Medal at the March 2008 annual meeting of the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College. Bassuk is a professor in the Department of Horticulture and director of the Department's Urban Horticulture Institute.

The award was established in 1929, and is given to an individual who has made a national contribution to the science and the art of gardening. As specified with the original gift fund, the purpose of the award is "to promote a greater love of nature; make the nation more conscious of the beauty of the outdoors; develop a greater knowledge and love of plants and flowers; spread the gospel of better planting and designing; and arouse a wider interest in better planting and more beautiful gardens among all citizens."

In 1931, Liberty Hyde Bailey was the second recipient of the medal.  Recent winners include Daniel Hinkley, Peter Del Tredici and Michael Dirr.

See also Cornell Chronicle article.