The 2025 Barbara McClintock Prize for Plant Genetics and Genome Studies has been awarded to Dr. Ed Buckler, a USDA Research Geneticist and Adjunct Professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University. The ceremony will take place during the Maize Genetics Meeting (March 6-9, 2025) in St. Louis, Missouri and will include a plenary address by Dr. Buckler. Dr Buckler investigates the quantitative and statistical genetics in maize, cassava, biofuel grasses and grapes. Additionally, his work has aided in our understanding of fundamental concepts in the underlying genetics behind phenotypes and his influence is wide, extending not only to crop breeding programs globally, but also outside of plant biology, to the fields of animal breeding and human genetics. HIs work is so foundational that it has been cited over 85,000 times.