2008 Conversations Series
Serving the World – Plant Science in St. Louis, a
Date: 1.21.08
Conversation with Bill Danforth
Featured Speaker:
Dr. William H. Danforth- Founder and
“We began with a vision. We saw grand opportunities to help feed the
Chairman of the Danforth Center
Our Purpose, Our Mission, Our Promise
hungry, to protect the world’s environment for our grandchildren and
their grandchildren, to provide discoveries to spark the next generation of
Improve the human condition through plant science
science-based industry, and to make our region a world center for plant
science.” - Dr. William H. Danforth
2008 had special significance at the Danforth Center, as we celebrated a full decade
After investing 10 years to establish a solid foundation for that vision,
since our founding. Although the Center constantly gazes forward, the milestone
Danforth Center founder and Chairman of the Board Bill Danforth took
also has us looking back on all that we have accomplished in just a 10-year span.
center stage to share his perspective on progress made – and the ground
yet to be covered.
The institution and all that it represents has momentum, gained from our many
achievements as well as the ever-increasing necessity of our cause.
We are now more confident than ever in our ability to face the great hurdles
Water: An Economist’s View of Policies and Politics
Date: 5.13.08
Featured Speaker:
the next decade will present. As we look forward to the future and back
As a scarce but essential resource, water has played a significant role in
shaping the course of human history. From Africa to Arizona – and all
Dr. Otto Doering- Professor in the
from where we began, we are filled with great pride in the goals we have
points in between – debates rage about how to appropriately use, preserve,
Department of Agricultural Economics
realized and hope for the challenges to come.
at Purdue University. Part of a group
and assign rights to this limited commodity. This event featured an in-depth
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
discussion of the economic and environmental challenges we face and a
brief history of recent water politics and policies.
The Future of Plant-Based Biofuels: Food, Feed, Fiber,
Date: 8.28.08
and Fuel
Featured Speakers:
Andrew C. Taylor- COO and Chairman
Plant-based biofuels are a key piece of our renewable fuel future. As gas
of Enterprise Rent-A-Car. In 2007, a
prices soared and headlines attempted to connect the dots between food
generous $25 million gift from the Jack C.
shortages, global climate change, and petroleum dependence, a conversation
Taylor Family established the Enterprise
about the role that biofuels can play in securing a our fuel future was a Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels
FEED THE PRESERVE
timely one. Our guests discussed their commitment to renewable biofuels, at the Danforth Center
ENHANCE OUR REGION
HUNGRY AND IMPROVE AND RENEW OUR
AS A WORLD CENTER FOR
and the challenges we face in strengthening our fuel future.
Dr. Richard Sayre- Danforth Center
Principal Investigator and Director of
HUMAN HEALTH ENVIRONMENT
PLANT SCIENCE
the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for
Renewable Fuels at the Center
A small taste of what 2008 has brought the Center:
St. Louis – An Emerging Leader in Plant and Life
Date: 11.18.08
Sciences
Featured Speakers:
Sam Fiorello- Sr. Vice President and COO
• A world renowned leader for the new Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for
Nearly 400 plant and life science enterprises – with about 15,000
of the Donald Danforth Plant Science
Renewable Fuels.
employees – call the St. Louis region home. Among them one finds
Center and President of BRDG Park
• Groundbreaking on the Bio-Research & Development (BRDG) Park, a
international corporations such as Monsanto, Sigma-Aldrich, Covidien
Vicki Gonzalez- President and CEO of the
110,000 square-foot building on the Center’s campus.
and the Pfizer St. Louis Laboratories. There are also entrepreneurs and Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise
small businesses which find stability and room to grow within the region’s Derek Rapp- Chief Executive of Divergence
• The completion of Greenhouse II, an entire new wing of the Center’s
array of incubators and start-up spaces. The discussion covered what this
& Chairman of the Greater St. Louis Plant
state-of-the-art greenhouse facilities.
means to St. Louis’ economy as well as what elements are essential to our
& Life Science Network
• Recognition from The Scientist magazine, listing the Center as one of the efforts to become a world center for plant and life sciences.
“Best Places to Work in Academia.”
These and other milestones are a testament to the quality of our science
and the momentum our commitment brings to the St. Louis community as
The Boeing Company, committed to increasing understanding of community and global issues,
we strive to enhance our region as a world center for plant science.
is proud to sponsor the 2009 Danforth Center Conversation series. The Friends Committee
and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center are grateful for their ongoing commitment.
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