Pat Boyce
(Board member 2022-2025)
Professional title at time of instatement: Retired; founder of Boyce Research Initiatives and Education Foundation (BRIEF)
My interest in being a member of the Board of Directors of the AAVSO stems from my desire to improve the sustainability of this important scientific organization. I have addressed this for several non-profits. Each circumstance has been unique to the institution’s culture and community. Primary solutions have ranged from improving financial management, to developing strategic partnerships, creating sponsorship programs, starting donor initiatives, or broadening the membership base.
I founded the non-profit, Boyce Research Initiatives and Education Foundation (BRIEF), in 2013 to introduce students to the scientific community through research in astronomy. To date, over 400 students have gone through BRIEF programs and have published over 50 papers. We have two remotely operated observatories and are a Global Sky Partner with the Las Cumbres Observatory. BRIEF is a sponsor of the AAVSO and the world-wide RTSRE conferences. We sponsor student membership in the AAVSO, student participation in AAVSO education programs, and the AAVSO Webinar Series. We train students to participate in the NASA/JPL Exoplanet Watch program, which is a partner of AAVSO’s Exoplanet Section, as well as the TESS program.
Before retirement, I was an owner and president of a 500+ person high-tech defense contractor that I sold in 1998. Prior to that general management, I participated in proposing or managing hundreds of government contracts in financial, contract, and project management roles. During my career I have held the positions of Corporate Controller, Corporate Secretary, Chief Financial Officer, and Division Manager. I have participated on ten for-profit, industry, and non-profit Boards of Directors. I have a B.S. in Physics from Indiana University, an MSIA from Purdue University, and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy.