Kaye Peterman

Kaye Peterman is the Susan M. Hallowell and Ruby Frances Howe Farwell Professor of Biological Sciences at Wellesley College. A plant cell biologist, she employs molecular genetics, biochemistry, and confocal microscopy to investigate how plant cells grow and divide within their rigid cellulose walls.

• Focus on membrane lipid-derived signals and cytoskeleton interactions
• Uses Arabidopsis thaliana and Physcomitrella patens as model organisms
• Plants engineered with fluorescently tagged proteins for live-cell imaging

Her teaching spans cellular biology, plant physiology, and plant biotechnology, with courses addressing CRISPR gene editing and its applications in agriculture, medicine, and environmental science.

Scientific Awards:

• Susan M. Hallowell and Ruby Frances Howe Farwell Professorship

Students collaborate in her lab, contributing to experiments, publications, and conference presentations. Outside academia, she enjoys kayaking, walking, cooking, gardening, and traveling to warm beaches with lush landscapes.