Nina Bassuk, Cornell professor of horticulture, will be awarded the prestigious Scott Medal at the March 2008 annual meeting of the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College.

The award 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."

Bassuk is the program leader of the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell. She works to improve the quality of urban life by enhancing the functions of plants within the urban ecosystem, taking into account stress physiology, horticultural science, plant ecology and soil science.