Archive: Around Town

The Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) is putting a twist on their usual annual fundraising campaign by giving back to the community through scholarships for local high school students.  If BTI reaches its end-of-year fundraising goals, the institute will award scholarships to up to four high school students who plan to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM). Chairperson of the BTI board, Laura Philips, as part of her very generous annual giving plan, has pledged to sponsor a $1,000 scholarship for a first-generation college student from the high school of one donor's choice. Donors who give $250 or more to the Unrestricted Futures Campaign between October and December 31 will be entered into the running.

"Lansing High School is so appreciative for the student scholarship made possible by the Boyce Thompson Institute," said Colleen Ledley, Lansing High School Principal. "This celebrates our ongoing partnership with BTI and our Lansing student population."

"It is exciting to contribute to BTI's groundbreaking current research, while also providing an opportunity for a student to discover their destiny as a future leader in a STEM career," said Philips. "Remember the moment when you knew you had found your passion? I find great pleasure in supporting that."

The campaign has already raised $ $202,729 toward the goal of $250,000 by the end of 2016.

BTI is also running an internal campaign among its staff. If they are able to contribute or help raise $12,000, BTI leadership will personally give scholarships to high school students at Lansing, Groton and Ithaca schools. Staff have already raised a total of $9,650, releasing two of the three scholarships. Senior Director of Advancement and Lansing High School alumna, Stephanie Meyer will be giving a $500 scholarship to a potential first-generation college student in Lansing.

"I was a first-generation college student, and know how much a bit of support can help when you are navigating new territory," said Meyer.

VP for Finance and Operations, Sophia Darling, will be awarding a $500 scholarship to a student from Groton, where she serves on the Board of Education. When $10,000 is reached, VP of Research, Eric Richards will give a scholarship to an Ithaca graduate. If the overall goal of 12,000 is raised by staff members, President David Stern will match each of those gifts, making them worth $1,000.

In their daily work, BTI researchers pursue foundational research discoveries that they hope will impact the future of food, human health and sustainable solutions for our environment. In doing this work, they train and inspire the next generation of scientists through BTI's summer internship programs for high school and college students. This new scholarship program will further expand their support for students pursuing a career in science, and contribute to building a pipeline of young people to fill exciting and necessary jobs in technology and engineering fields in the future.

Federal funding for research has stagnated during the past decade, making public support for science more vital than ever. Only about 59 percent of BTI's budget is paid for by grant funding, which is heavily restricted to specific projects. Donations contribute to operational needs, support staff, enrichment opportunities for early-career scientists and the high school summer intern program.

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