One Face, One Story

Michael Boyd, a part-time employee at the University of Georgia, poses on Thursday, February 21, 2019 with one of the hundreds of flowers he has growing in the Botany Greenhouses in Athens, Georgia. In his role, he oversees the management and upkeep of all eight botany greenhouses, and also tends to the day-to-day care and other responsibilities which go along with the supervision of the greenhouses. Boyd originally wanted to pursue a career in English and become a teacher, but failed to find joy in the prospect.

“You know, the thing about English majors...they’re all just really depressed,” Boyd said. “And one day, I picked up a book about plants and thought, ‘Hey! Plants are cool! Why not work with plants for a living?’’ And from there I decided to go into horticulture and plant biology.”

Boyd has now worked with the university for nearly 16 years, and finds immense joy and passion in his career. With eight separate greenhouses, each one is separated into distinct rooms which mimic varying climates, from the deserts of Africa to the rainforests of South America.

When classes at UGA are in need of plants that, when grown, will be used for study, or if professors need certain plants grown for research purposes, Boyd is given the assignment and grows the designated plants himself. Because of the wide range of individuals he has worked with and types of research he has been involved in, Boyd has played roles in a broad array of global issues and strives for resolutions, including solving issues of famine with corn and building desert oases in order to combat deforestation and rebuild lost water sources for both people and animals.

Boyd sees no end to his work and research and is considering to one day apply his experience and knowledge into a classroom setting and teach high school students.

(Photo/Raini Singleton)