Donnelly said he thinks being named to the board of directors is an opportunity to have an influence on worldwide plant conservation.

During his time at MSU, Donnelly played a role in planting and preserving the plant life that all students see during their walks to class as a member of the Campus Park and Planning administrative group and curator of the W.J. Beal Botanical Garden.

"(Professor Beal) established the Botanical Garden next to the library, but also began planting the campus with trees and shrubs from around the world, essentially creating an outdoor laboratory for the learning and study of plant diversity," Donnelly said. "Michigan State's campus has inspired that same kind of campus-as-arboretum at other universities across the nation."

He also said The W.J. Beal Botanical Garden and MSU are integral to a lot of what is being accomplished in the realm of tree science and genomics.

Donnelly said he believes the cooperation of all gardens and arboreta, or a place where trees and shrubs are grown for study, such as what is done with the BGCI, is necessary to further the advancements of botanical sciences in a progressing world.

"It's no longer possible to work as single organizations," Donnelly said. "The only way to have a big impact on big issues is to work collaboratively."