[2] Westcott was nicknamed "The Plant Doctor", and is credited with starting the "first ornamental disease diagnosis business" in the United States.

Although she was often assigned menial jobs as the only woman student, her work in the materials room gave her extensive experience in drying, pressing, and preserving specimens and preparing microscope slides for the classes in plant pathology.

Westcott contributed significantly to research on the genus Sclerotinia, a group of fungi of great interest to mycologists and plant pathologists.

[5] She received her Ph.D in plant pathology from Cornell in 1932, after completing a thesis on brand canker, caused in roses by Coniothyrium wernsdorffiae.

"[1] She and entomologist Irene Dobroscky opened the "Plant Doctors" business at 96 Essex Avenue, Glen Ridge, New Jersey.

[2] Like a medical doctor, Westcott made house calls to her clients' gardens to diagnose and treat problems in roses and ornamentals.

H. H. Whetzel wrote to her in congratulation: [2] "It is with a good deal of pride that I learned that one of my oId students and assistants has put it over the boys who have heretofore worked on azalea blight.

[8] Cynthia Westcott died of a heart ailment on March 22, 1983 at Phelps Memorial Hospital in North Tarrytown, New York.