Armando Theodoro Hunziker

Armando Theodoro Hunziker (born in Chacabuco, Argentina on August 29 1919, died in Córdoba, Argentina on December 12 2001) was an Argentine botanist. He had specialized in the study of systems biology of the Solanaceae family, having contributed with a large number of investigations and publications.

Biography

His family was of Swiss ancestry. An aunt has taught him German, French, Italian and English. He has studied Agronomy in the University of Buenos Aires, where he met his mentor, Prof. Lorenzo R. Parodi, who supervised his graduation thesis about the "Cuscuta" genus, a parasite that affects wild and cultivated plants in Argentina and Uruguay. At the age of 22, he received the first prize for his work ("Premio José Manuel de Altoaguirre") and one year later he received another prize ("Premio Eduardo Holmberg").

In 1945, at the age of 25, he was nominated curator of the Botanical Museum of the National University of Cordoba, recommended by the Nobel Prize winner in Medicine Bernardo Alberto Houssay. Between 1949 and 1982 he was a professor in this university, having achieved the title of honorary professor. In 1957 he received a prize from the National Commission for Culture for regional scientific production; in 1968 he received the "Weissmann Prize" and in 1983 the "Konex de Platino" prize.

He participated in the creation of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council where he worked as science and technology researcher, from 1963, as a member of the administration council in [1994] and as a senior researcher from 1998.

In 1961 he founded the "Kurtziana" journal, of which he has been the editor until [1998] .

He has worked abroad for several years. Between 1947 and1954 at Harvard University, he has has done research with Prof. I. W. Bailey. In 1954 he has worked under sponsorship of the British Council in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England. From 1961 to 1962 and again from 1979 to 1980 he has done research in the United States, under sponsorship of the Guggenheim Foundation.

In 1999 he was diagnosed with Cancer and suspended all his other projects, in order to dedicate himself to his main work, the "Genera Solanacearum: The Genera of Solanaceae Illustrated, Arranged According to a new System" book, which he managed to publish briefly before his death.

During his life he published more than 150 scientific papers and described a great amount of plant species. One genus, 11 species and one subspecies have been named in his honor.

Sources

* Anton, Ana M. 2002. "Armando T. Hunziker (1919 − 2001)"; "Taxon" 51: 393-403.
* Hunziker, Armando T. 2001. "The Genera of Solanaceae." A.R.G. Gantner Verlag K.G., Ruggell, Liechtenstein. ISBN 3-904144-77-4.

External Links

* [http://www.fundacionkonex.org/premios/galeria1983F/P7.asp Premios Konex] (in Spanish)
* Anton A.M. & G.E. Barboza [http://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=745_42 Armando Theodoro Hunziker] "Acta Horticulturae", ISHS
* Hunziker Juan H. 2000. [http://www.scielo.br/pdf/gmb/v23n4/6252.pdf Some historical aspects of plant cytogenetics in Argentina and Uruguay] "Genetics and Molecular Biology" 23 (4): 917-920.
* Robertson Kenneth R.(Editor) 2000. "In Memoriam" " [http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/ASPT/newsletter16_1.html#memoriam ASPT Newsletter 16 (1)] ".