Please join the growing circle of friends and graduates of the Department of Plant Biology at the University of Illinois who have made an impact on our program through their generous gifts. Even a small gift can provide an opportunity that can significantly enhance our undergraduate and graduate programs.
Your contribution to Illinois Plant Biology will:
- Enable us to acquire special equipment to improve outcomes in Plant Biology courses.
- Provide support to students conducting undergraduate and graduate research.
- Help students participate in off-campus courses and workshops.
- Help students attend and present their research at national and international meetings and conferences.
Govindjee and Rajni Govindjee Award for Excellence in Biological Research Fund
The Govindjee and Rajni Govindjee Award for Excellence in Biological Research was established in 2006 to support expenses for students conducting research in any aspect of Plant Biology.
Donate to the Govindjee Award Fund
Plant Biology Graduate Research Enhancement Fund
The Plant Biology Graduate Research Enhancement Fund (PlBio GREF) was established in 2011 by Department Head Feng Sheng Hu to provide support for Plant Biology graduate students seeking to gain access to expertise important for their research but unavailable on the Urbana campus.
Department of Plant Biology Unrestricted Fund
Donate to the Unrestricted Fund
LAS Annual Fund for Plant Biology
Enables the Department to acquire special equipment to improve outcomes in Plant Biology courses, provide support to students conducting undergraduate and graduate research, help students participate in off-campus courses and workshops, and help students attend and present their research at national and international meetings and conferences.
Plant Biology Greenhouse Support Fund
The greenhouse is used by Plant Biology faculty and students for research, teaching and outreach. The Conservatory houses more than 200 species from the tropics, including century-old cycads.
Donate to the Greenhouse Support Fund
Sharon Gray Memorial Award Fund
This fund was set up by Cody Markelz in honor of his wife, Sharon Gray, who was killed in an accident in Ethiopia in 2016. Sharon received her PhD in Plant Biology in 2013. The fund is to be used to support postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and undergraduate students supervised by faculty in SIB. Preference will be given to women and/or students from under-represented populations.
Donate to the Sharon Gray Memorial Award Fund
John R. Laughnan Fund in Plant Biology
This fund was established by Susan Gabay-Laughnan to honor her husband Dr. John Laughnan, the developer of the "Illini Supersweet" hybrid that revolutionized the sweet corn industry. The fund supports travel for graduate students in the Department of Plant Biology.
Donate to the John R. Laughnan Fund
Tom Phillips Lecture Fund
Supports a lectureship named after Dr. Tom Phillips in recognition of his contributions to paleoscience and teaching.
Donate to the Tom Phillips Lecture Fund
Dr. Fakhri and Dr. Maarib Bazzaz Plant Biology Fund
This award was established to honor Dr. Fakhri and Dr. Maarib Bazzaz as academics, mentors, and cherished friends by supporting students in the Department of Plant Biology in at the University of Illinois.
Donate to the Fakhri and Bazzaz Fund
Opportunities for Major Gifts
To learn more about investing in the future of our students, faculty, research, and more, please contact Paul Winterbotham.
Paul Winterbotham, Assistant Director of Development
LAS Office of Advancement
phone: (217) 300-9993
email: paulww@illinois.edu