Danforth center among best places for scientists
St. Louis Business Journal
July 16, 2010
By Evan Binns
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center was ranked among the top 20 "Best Places to Work in Academia" by publication The Scientist.
The Danforth Center, led by Interim President Phillip Needleman, was recently ranked 18th among almost 120 national and international organizations, including Princeton University, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and National Institutes of Health. Last year, the Danforth Center ranked 66th among its peers.
More than 2,300 life scientists permanently employed by academic, hospital, government or research organizations evaluated their working environments. The Danforth Center received strong marks in the "management and policies" as well as the "infrastructure and environment" categories.
"We're only as good as the quality of the individuals we attract," said Sam Fiorello, Danforth's COO. "The fact that scientists weigh in and say this is one of the top 20 places to work in the world helps tell us that we're creating an environment that is productive" for the brightest minds.
Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a nonprofit research institute that employs 210 people. Of those employees, 150 are scientists and 90 hold PhDs.
