Danforth Center's "Conversations" Series

Online, August 5, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center will host its quarterly "Conversations" Series on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 from 5:15 - 7:00 p.m. at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N. Warson Road. The event is sponsored by Boeing. The program will feature the Center's new president, Dr. James C. Carrington, who will discuss his vision for the institution, along with his hopes for the future of plant science.

A member of the National Academy, Carrington is accompanied by several colleagues from his lab at Oregon State University whose skills and research focus complement those of the Danforth Center's existing faculty. Since his arrival Dr. Carrington has successfully recruited several new leading plant scientists to round out the Center's faculty, expanded educational outreach opportunities and launched the development of a new biocomputing core facility.

Join moderator James W. Davis, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Washington University, for a conversation with Dr. Carrington about his work, what brought him to the Danforth Center, and how he plans to help accelerate the Center's mission.

To join us for an enlightening discussion, reserve your spot today! Reservations are required but complimentary; seating is limited and priority will be given to Center Friends. To attend, please phone: 314-587-1070 or email: [email protected] or reserve online.

About Dr. James C. Carrington
Dr. Carrington joined the Danforth Center from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, where he served as the Director of the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing, the Stewart Professor for Gene Research, and Distinguished Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology. As director of the CGRB, he was responsible for coordinating campus wide efforts in computational and genomic biology research and education.

Carrington received his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Riverside in 1982 and his doctorate in Plant Pathology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1986. He later began his career as a professor in the Department of Biology at Texas A&M University, where he stayed for nine years. Carrington also served on the faculty at Washington State University before his tenure at OSU.

His awards include the Presidential Young Investigator Award from the National Science Foundation and the Ruth Allen Award from the American Society for Phytopathology. Among many accolades, he has been elected a Member of the National Academies of Science and Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.

About The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research at the Danforth Center will feed the hungry and improve human health, preserve and renew the environment, and enhance the St. Louis region and Missouri as a world center for plant science. The Center's work is funded through competitive grants and contract revenue from many sources, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center invites you to visit its new website, www.danforthcenter.org, featuring interactive information on the Center's scientists, news and research, including the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels, the Center for Advanced Biofuel Research, and the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts. Public education outreach, RSS feeds and the brand-new "Roots & Shoots" blog help keep visitors up to date with Center's current operations and areas of research.

###