Donor Spotlight Jacqueline Heard

Jacqueline Heard with plants

Over the past five years, Dr. Jacqueline Heard has been serving on the Board of Directors and the Science Advisory Board at BTI. She is also the chair of the Nomination and Governance committee. Getting to know the Institute has been such a pleasure and aligns perfectly with her personal and professional interests.

Dr. Heard spent her career in agriculture with the goal of having an impact on the sustainability and resilience of food production globally. She supports BTI philanthropically because agriculture is at the center of an emerging humanitarian and environmental crisis. Science and innovation are essential to our ability to produce enough food for a growing global population. This will be one of the greatest challenges we face in the 21st century. There is no more important work than the work BTI is doing for plant science.

Thank you, Jacqueline for believing in BTI.

Why Support BTI

Now, more than ever, your support helps to sustain BTI’s ability to achieve the mission of advancing and communicating scientific discovery in plant biology to improve agriculture, protect the environment, and enhance human health. COVID-19 is impacting the research environment in a time when science, awareness of science, and STEM education are vital to our future collective health. You will make a difference by becoming a champion for BTI today. Thank you!

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Make essential research possible

BTI researchers work to understand plants and their pests to help tackle society’s most pressing global issues: development of renewable energy sources, crops with increased environmental and disease resistance, and medicines from plant-derived chemicals. Every day brings deeper understandings of plants’ structure and functions from the microscopic to a larger scale.

Support cutting-edge technology and resources

BTI has been renowned for decades of basic plant research. We are a center for focused, collaborative research and are affiliated with one of the top universities of the world, Cornell University. Many of our scientists have been honored as American Association for the Advancement of Science fellows—and collaborate with researchers from around the world.

Help nurture the development of tomorrow’s scientists

BTI also provides a stimulating place for young people to learn about plant science through our Summer Internship REU Program, high school internships, teacher training, predoctoral and postdoctoral opportunities, and educational outreach programs.

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Please make your check payable to Boyce Thompson Institute and mail it to:

Development Office
Boyce Thompson Institute
533 Tower Road
Ithaca, NY 14853

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To discuss other giving options or for further information, please contact the Development Office or 607-288-3554.

Note for Restricted Gifts (effective 10/1/2017): Restricted endowment and program gifts are subject to an indirect cost recovery policy which require that 20% of gift funds be retained by the institute, to be applied to the costs associated with the specific restricted gift purpose. Restricted gifts below $5,000 will be subject to a reduced 10% IDC rate.