When Alan Renwick arrived in New York from Scotland in 1960, he carried all his worldly belongings in a single trunk, hauled onto a propeller plane for an 11-hour flight across the Atlantic. After two nights at a YMCA, he called the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI), took a train to Yonkers, and spoke with two of the Institute’s chemists for about an hour. They offered him a job on the spot.
Sixty-four years later, BTI has put his name on the room where its community gathers. On Friday, September 18, colleagues, family, and friends filled the Institute’s auditorium to formally dedicate it as the Dr. J. Alan Renwick Auditorium, honoring the pioneering chemical ecologist who passed away in 2024 at the age of 88.
“We gather in institutions like this one to study living things. But an institution is itself a living thing,” said BTI President Silvia Restrepo. “It is made of people, of the questions they asked, the students they taught, the stories they told over coffee. When we lose one of those people, we are at risk of losing part of who we are.”
“Naming a room is a small act,” she added. “But it means that every seminar, every thesis defense, every first-year student who walks in here nervous about their talk will do so under a name that says: this is what a life in science can look like.”
Alan rose from research assistant to emeritus professor, publishing more than 140 papers and earning the Silverstein-Simeone Award from the International Society of Chemical Ecology. BTI Professor Georg Jander described him as one of the originators and leaders of chemical ecology, the study of how chemical cues shape interactions in nature.
Jander also spoke from personal experience. In 1996, as a young researcher in Boston looking for someone who could teach him to measure plant compounds, he cold-called Alan.
“He said, ‘Sure, come on over,’” Jander recalled. He spent two weeks at BTI, later joined the faculty, and shared lab space with Alan for his first two years. Compounds Alan purified are still used as standards in Jander’s lab today.
Alan’s daughter, Katie, said her father loved the science but loved the people even more. Long after retiring, he still came to the Institute most mornings for email and coffee.
“He could have done that from home easily,” she said. “But I know a big part of why he came was just knowing that on his way to get coffee, he was likely to run into somebody that he knew, or even somebody he didn’t know, and get to have a conversation about their latest research or even just ask how their family was doing.”
“He would have been so proud to know that this is happening,” she added.
A plaque beside the auditorium entrance now honors Alan’s contributions to chemical ecology and the lasting mark he left on generations of researchers. As Restrepo said in closing the dedication: “May everyone who speaks here have a little of his patience, his curiosity, and his kindness.”
The newly dedicated Alan Renwick Auditorium will continue to serve as a place where scientists, students, and the broader BTI community gather to share ideas, present research, and learn from one another—a fitting tribute to someone who valued both science and the people who make it possible.
Watch the full dedication ceremony and the tribute slideshow below, read memories shared by friends and colleagues, and browse photos from the event.
Watch the Dedication Ceremony
Tribute Slideshow
Memories of Alan
Friends and colleagues who were unable to attend the dedication shared these remembrances.
As BTI President, I got to know Alan well, particularly from our dozens of coffee hours in the president’s office where the emeriti came to talk about the Institute old and new. Alan’s light always burned brightly at these meetings. I was among those who worked closely with him to turn his passion for the former Yonkers site of BTI into a successful preservation and reimagination of the edifice. This dream was realized in 2017 and would not have happened without his energy, optimism, and (sometimes) quiet persistence. He was a true champion of the Institute’s legacy.
David Stern, former BTI President
I first met Alan soon after I joined BTI’s Environmental Biology Program in 1966 after recently completing my undergraduate degree in biology. Alan was in charge of BTI’s Analytical Lab when I was assigned to separate fluoro-organic acids using a gas chromatograph: a device I had never heard of, much less used. Alan’s patience with an “operationally challenged” lab assistant not only helped me perform my assigned task, but perhaps more importantly prevented damaging expensive lab equipment, including a newly purchased mass spectrometer!
After that incident, we discovered we had a mutual interest in tennis and often played singles and were a tough doubles team. No doubt, I learned additional skills on the tennis court in addition to those Alan taught me in the analytical lab.
Following BTI’s purchase of the Hudson River Golf Course, BTI’s administration recognized the need for “responsible employees” to live in the Course’s Clubhouse, which had about a dozen or so bedrooms, a restaurant-sized kitchen, a large club room, two ballrooms, and more bathrooms than I could count! Although our parties were not rowdy (at least as far as I can remember), they were memorable! Alan and Jay Jacobson had an unusually wide circle of friends, and it may be possible that our non-scientific standings were a competitive challenge to our scientific reputations. Alan not only practiced excellent science, but he also knew how to have a good time, and as importantly, share it with others.
After I left BTI, I was part of a team that formed one of the nation’s first private plant biotechnology companies (Agrigenetics). Part of my job was to put in place an applied genetics laboratory: design the layout, purchase equipment and supplies, and make sure it was functionally transparent to the scientists we were going to hire.
My last professional assignments were at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, where I helped activate about 1,000,000 square feet of research space. During that time, I was put in charge of Health, Safety, and Emergency Preparedness. It’s ironic to reflect that I became one of those administrative/bureaucratic types whom I used to avoid; but recalling Alan’s emphasis on scientific achievement performed compliantly and safely helped me put them in perspective.
The experiences I gained at BTI and through Alan’s leadership, thoughtfulness, and thoroughness were instrumental in any of the successes I achieved… I could not have done it without you, Alan. Thank you.
David H. Silberman, former BTI Environmental Biology Program staff
Alan was my neighbor, fellow pickleball player, and happy hour “associate” at Horizon Villages. He was a true gentleman, with a quick wit and wonderful sense of humor. Alan appreciated my love of travel and told me that when I visit Scotland I must go to the Highlands. This brings me to the reason that I cannot attend the reception. When the reception is occurring, I will actually be in the Highlands!
I am so happy that Alan is being honored in this way.
Lori Abbott, friend and neighbor at Horizon Villages
In the spring of 1962, I came from Germany to work at BTI. It was there that I first met Alan as a colleague. Over time, our professional relationship developed into a friendship that lasted until his death.
His strong interpersonal skills and genuine ability to connect with people were also evident after he retired from BTI. Alan brought former colleagues back into contact with one another and organized regular Zoom meetings. Between June 16, 2020, and June 15, 2023, we held a total of 13 of these meetings. These gatherings were very meaningful to me and remain a cherished memory.
Gert Streissle, former BTI colleague
Dear Alan, many thanks for giving me the great opportunity to work as a visiting scholar at Boyce Thompson Institute beginning in November 1995. During my stay in your laboratory, I benefited tremendously. I was greatly inspired by your devotion to scientific research, your hard-working spirit, and your thoughtful, forward-looking planning. I will always cherish this memorable experience.
Wenqing Zhang, Professor, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University
It was our good fortune to move to Horizon Villages and become friends with Alan Renwick. He extended a warm welcome right away and it was easy to see why he was loved by so many. Although an avid tennis player, he agreed to join our pickleball team and indeed became one of our favorite players, a competitive but kind and respectful teammate. We miss his presence each and every day. Renwick Auditorium is the perfect way to honor Alan’s memory.
Jan and Jim Haldeman, friends and neighbors at Horizon Villages
Photo Gallery
