Troyer-Darwin Fellowship

Darwin Traditional Corn Breeding Fellowship- Photograph of A. Forrest Troyer

Intended for graduate students following a curriculum that prepares them for careers as corn breeders. The recipient shall have a firm grounding in th theory and practice of Darwin's teachings as related to selection, adaptation, and variation as avenues to corn improvement.

This fellowship was made possible through the generosity of A. Forrest Troyer.

A. Forrest Troyer was born on a farm near La Fontaine, Indiana on May 30, 1929. He earned a B.S. from Purdue University in 1954, an M.S. from the University of Illinois in 1956, and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1964.

Dr. Troyer operated a small certified seed business from 1945 until 1950, when he joined the U.S. Army and served in the Korean war. He served in the war for 2 years and obtained his discharge at the rank of Master Sergeant. After working as a Research Associate and Research Fellow during his graduate studies, Dr. Troyer joined Pioneer Hi-Bred International in 1958 as a Corn Research Station Manager. He went on to serve as Coordinator of Corn Research for northern and eastern North America and for France. In 1977 he became Director of Research & Development for Pfizer Genetics (now DEKALB), and was elected Vice President of Research & Development in 1981. Dr. Troyer retired from DEKALB in 1993 and became a business consultant for Cargill Hybrid Seeds. He retired from Cargill in 1998, when he was appointed Adjunct Professor of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois.