We’d like to honor and commemorate the life of a true icon, Mary-Dell Chilton, who passed away in June. Chilton was a trailblazer for scientific development in biochemistry and agriculture. She revolutionized many of the scientific endeavors in the field of genetic engineering, being a part of the team that designed the first genetically modified plants. Just to name a few of her achievements, she was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by the former president Joe Biden in 2023 and the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Sciences in 2002.
Chilton was a remarkable woman who has paved the path for women in STEM to follow. Her discoveries in the 1970s and 80s forever changed the landscape in what scientists’ thought was possible in plant genetics, leaving a deep impact on the field as we know it today. We’re grateful for her legacy and for the discoveries that will be made because of it.
For more than three decades, Dr. Chilton called Research Triangle Park home, leading much of her work at Syngenta’s RTP campus, where a research center still holds her name today. On behalf of the Research Foundation of North Carolina, we are fortunate to have witnessed the inspiration she created within our community. Our thoughts are with her family, especially her children, Mark Chilton, and Andrew Chilton, and her two grandchildren. Her legacy will remain with all of us.
Read more:
Triangle Business Journal | Mary-Dell Chilton, godmother of plan science, dies
The New York Times: Mary-Dell Chilton Dies at 87; Helped Create First Genetically Modified Plant