This fund honors the life of Jean Brenchley, who fought fiercely against a rare form of cancer that eventually took its toll in July 2019. Born in Towanda, PA, Jean graduated from Canton High School in 1962 and received her bachelor's degree in biology from Mansfield University in 1965. Jean then received her master's degree in marine microbiology in 1967 from the University of California, San Diego, and her Ph.D. in microbiology in 1970 from the University of California, Davis. In 1971, she joined the faculty of Penn State's Microbiology Department as Assistant Professor and was subsequently promoted to Associate Professor. In 1984, she became Head of the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology and also a founding director of the Penn State Biotechnology Institute, which she established at the request of Penn State's President Bryce Jordan. Jean served as a professor of microbiology and biotechnology until her retirement with emeritus status from Penn State in 2011. This fund is inspired by Jean's many philanthropic passions and supports the following local nonprofits: Centre Safe, Clearwater Conservancy, Discovery Space, and Centre Foundation.