Alum Earns Scholarship for PhD Study on Plants and Climate Change

Will Dwyer ’20 has been awarded a three-year Knight-Hennessy Scholars grant to pursue his PhD in molecular biology at Stanford University. Dwyer, who is currently a research assistant at the Carnegie Institute for Science in Palo Alto, California will conduct research on how plants respond to the environment around them.

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program funds three years of graduate work at Stanford. Grants are awarded to applicants who demonstrate their dedication to addressing complex challenges in the world. Grant recipients are enrolled in Stanford’s King Global Leadership Program throughout their time at the university. 

“My goal is to understand how plants, especially agricultural crops, will respond to drought, heat, and other effects of climate change,” Dwyer said. “On the more social side of things, I’m interested in rethinking agricultural systems towards a sustainable, biodiverse agro-ecology that empowers small-scale farmers and ultimately seeks to reshape our connection with land.”

Dwyer said he was eager to engage in discussions with other Knight-Hennessy recipients. “The real strength of Knight-Hennessy Scholars seems to be its inter-disciplinary community of scholars,” he said. “I’m planning to use the scholarship to meet collaborators in the MBA, JD, and other PhD programs who complement my skills and can help my science make a tangible impact outside of academia.”

Dwyer said four Vassar faculty members—Assistant Professors of Biology Colin Aitken and Dianne Pater, Associate Professor of Biology Jennifer Kennell, and Associate Professor of Chemistry Alison Keimowitz—had provided the mentorship and support that enabled him to receive the scholarship.