BTI’s Impact through Education and Outreach
The Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) believes it’s crucial to have an informed and engaged public. Thus, outreach and education is a primary institute directive, with efforts to make plant science accessible for all audiences and to inspire and support new plant scientists.
BTI hosts professional development programs linking high school science teachers and students with BTI researchers in collaborative research projects. The institute also fosters research and educational experiences for undergraduate and graduate students and community members, along with summer internships for area high school students.
BTI prepares graduate students for multiple career paths through an initiative known as “T-training.” “Over the last ten years, the situation for graduate students has become more challenging,” says President David Stern, who developed the project. “Five out of six students don’t end up running a lab–they enter a different profession.” The T-training teaches grad students skills such as networking, tech transfer, and communication skills that can facilitate smoother transitions into nonacademic career paths.
T-training is just one part of a larger plant science directive known as the Decadal Vision, a report drawn up by Stern and other plant science thought-leaders that prioritizes key goals for the field. In addition to T-training, these goals include improving the knowledge and applications of plant genomes and plant-derived chemicals, and the ability to find answers in a torrent of data. “The goal is to raise awareness and create a pathway to implement these ideas,” says Stern.
BTI Education and Outreach Mission
BTI Education and Outreach aims to link students, teachers, and scientists in learning and teaching through inquiry and discovery in plant biology. We provide academic and career development opportunities to young people, teachers, and mentors. Environmental and agricultural sustainability are tied to the advancement and understanding of plant research and technology. We increase scientific literacy in these areas, while preparing the next generation of scientists.
Education & Outreach News
An Interview With PGRP Intern Natalie Gonzalez
Natalie explains how having a mentor and interning at BTI has given her a new perspective on where to plant her professional roots.
Maize in Maricopa: An Interview with Intern Michael Miller
Michael Miller spent his first two weeks as a PGRP intern at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Arid Land Research Center.
Wading into discovery: BTI’s 2017 PGRP Interns
Motivated, curious, and eager to discover, BTI’s 2017 Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) interns are ready to dive into a 2+ month transformative experience that will prepare them for their future career.
‘New Visions’ of food security from Cassandra Proctor
“Food security is a mixture of all the different aspects of agriculture. It’s not just growing the food,” said Proctor. “It’s not just planting something in the ground – there is a lot more to it.”
Frank Schroeder Selected for HHMI Faculty Scholars Program
The five-year grant is given to innovative, early career scientists to support high-risk research with the potential to make significant contributions to the field.
Rheonix pledges to support BTI Education and Outreach program
The company, founded by BTI board member Greg Galvin, supports high quality, local STEM education programs.
Summer Institute Keeps Teachers ahead of the Curve
BTI’s Curriculum Development Projects in Plant Biology summer institute exposes STEM educators to new research on agriculture, plant biotechnology and bioenergy.
Students Become Gene Detectives to Fight Citrus Greening
A group of students and experts work together through video conferencing to identify the genes in the genome of the newly sequenced Asian citrus psyllid, the insect that spreads the bacterium that causes citrus greening disease.
BTI Intern Picks Up Awards on His Way to Berkeley
Patel is about to graduate from Cornell–and the Martin lab–to return to his native California to continue his career in plant science.
New Teachers Get a Jump on Lesson Planning from BTI Workshop
Early career teachers get an introduction to BTI’s inquiry-based STEM activities at the Cornell Institute for Biology Teachers.
Why Teachers Spend Their Vacation Days at BTI
Ongoing relationships with teachers enable Education and Outreach to host valuable professional development workshops on plant and insect science for dedicated teachers.
Van Eck Gives Insight into Genetic Engineering to Cornell Students
Students in Cornell University’s course, The GMO Debate: Science and Society, visited a genetic engineering laboratory at Boyce Thompson Institute, courtesy of Assistant Professor Joyce Van Eck and postdoctoral researcher Alex Amaro, Stern Lab.
BTI Postdocs Teach Bio 101 at BTI
BTI collaborates with Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) to host Biology 101. The relationship is symbiotic, and BTI postdocs gain valuable teaching experience.
Bioinformatics Progress at BTI
BTI provides bioinformatics consulting in-house.
Teacher Programs Put Plant Research and Resources in Area Classrooms
Professional development for teachers in plant science at BTI is having real impact in classrooms across New York State.
Plant Biology Outreach at Monroe Community College Rochester, NY
Sixty undergraduates at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY are learning some classic biology concepts in new ways, and they are using plants to do it.
Former BTI REU Intern Receives Fellowship from the American Society of Plant Biologists
Hannah De Jong an undergraduate in the Georg Jander lab, received a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB).
BTI Participates in Cornell’s Bring a Child to Work Day
On April 28, 2011, thirteen children ages 8 – 12 visited BTI along with their parents as part of Cornell’s Bring a Child to Work Day.