James and Marilyn Ferry donated $10,000 to support the James G. and Marilyn A. Ferry Endowed Scholarship.
Dr. Ferry received his AAS degree in agronomy from Alfred State in 1963 followed by BS and MS degrees from the University of Georgia. He continued his education with a PhD degree in biochemistry from the University of Illinois in 1974. He was appointed assistant professor of microbiology at Virginia Tech in 1976, where he rose to the rank of professor.
In 1995, Ferry moved to Penn State to accept an endowed chair in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He has authored more than 200 scientific publications and is a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and past editor of the Journal of Bacteriology. He has served on numerous national committees and currently is co-chair of the Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science that advises the federal government on matters of space exploration.
Ferry recently created the James G. and Marilyn A. Ferry Endowed Scholarship to assist students with a strong desire to learn and who have the need for financial assistance.
He served as the speaker for Alfred State’s 104th Commencement on May 17, 2015.