Ava Forystek Receives Royal Heins International Floriculture Research Scholarship
August 3, 2026 | 3 min to read
Alexandria, Virginia — Meet Ava Forystek, the inaugural recipient of the Royal Heins International Floriculture Research Scholarship. This opportunity will take her from Cornell University to the Netherlands, where she will gain hands-on international research experience, build new collaborations, and bring fresh ideas back to the floriculture industry.
The American Floral Endowment (AFE) is excited to support Ava as she takes this important next step in her career and begins a research experience designed to shape the kind of horticultural leader she hopes to become.
Earlier this year, the Royal Heins International Floriculture Research Scholarship was established through the generosity of Dr. Royal Heins, to help U.S. Ph.D. students gain hands-on international research experience, build global collaborations, and bring new knowledge back to the floriculture industry. The scholarship reflects his longstanding belief that international partnerships and research are essential to advancing horticulture.
As the inaugural recipient, Ava, a Ph.D. student in Horticulture at Cornell University, will spend the summer of 2027 conducting research at the Brightlands Future Farming Institute (BFFI) in the Netherlands. There, she will collaborate with leading researchers studying controlled environment agriculture while gaining experience in one of the world’s most innovative horticultural regions.
“I’m beyond excited that Ava was selected for the inaugural Royal Heins Scholarship.” said Neil Mattson, Ph.D., Ava’s advisor and professor at Cornell University. “Ava’s international research internship will create new linkages between Cornell University, the Brightlands Future Farming Institute, and Nunhems’ world-class breeding facilities… We hope Ava’s work will bring new techniques, plant material, and industry connections back to the growers we work with in the U.S.”
“Ava’s curiosity, innovative thinking, and passion for horticulture make her an excellent first recipient of this scholarship,” said Dr. Royal Heins. “International research experiences give young scientists the opportunity to learn new perspectives, build valuable collaborations, and bring new knowledge back to our industry. Another goal is for the recipient to experience a new culture and become more comfortable working with international scientists into the future. I look forward to seeing how Ava uses this experience to advance her research and grow as a horticultural leader.”
Her doctoral research focuses on optimizing crops for controlled environment agriculture, but her vision extends far beyond the greenhouse. She hopes to build a career in public horticulture, creating spaces where research, education, and community engagement inspire more people to connect with plants and strengthen the future of the floriculture industry.
Ava states, “To me, horticulture is equally an art to enjoy and a science to improve our world, and being named the inaugural Royal Heins Scholarship recipient tells me that my vision has a place at the national level, which is a tremendous honor at this stage in my career.”
During her time in the Netherlands, Ava will work alongside researchers at BFFI and BASF | Nunhems to study how different lettuce varieties perform under greenhouse growing conditions. She’ll have access to advanced research facilities, innovative production technologies, and international collaborators while building knowledge and experience she can bring back to benefit the U.S. floriculture industry.
“My time at the Brightlands Future Farming Institute in the Netherlands will give me the international, hands-on research experience and creative inspiration to become the kind of horticultural leader I’ve always aspired to be.”
To learn more and hear directly from Ava in a video as she shares what receiving the inaugural Royal Heins International Floriculture Research Scholarship means to her, visit: endowment.org/news/2026-heins-recipient.
About the American Floral Endowment (AFE)
The American Floral Endowment is the trusted source and catalyst for floriculture advancement through funding of innovative research, scholarships, internships, and educational grants that best serve the dynamic needs and demographics of all industry sectors. Since 1961, more than $18 million has been funded in research and educational projects, and more than $3 million has been funded in scholarships and internships designed to attract and retain the future leaders of the industry.