Institute wins Communicator Award and named one of top Best Places to Work in Academia
Grand Rapids, Mich. (July 22, 2010)
– Van Andel Institute (VAI) has recently received two distinct honors. The Institute was named one of the top Best Places to Work in Academia by The Scientist magazine, and received a national Award of Distinction for Best Documentary by the Communicator Awards.
In The Scientist magazine’s annual Best Places to Work in Academia survey for 2010, Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) was ranked third in the nation. VARI joins three other Michigan schools in the top 40; Calvin College was ranked eighth, Michigan State University fourteenth, and Wayne State University thirty-seventh.
VARI joined other distinguished organizations ranked in the top five: Princeton University, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, J. David Gladstone Institutes, and The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation.
According to The Scientist: “While other industries in Michigan may not be faring as well, its research sector is booming…from phage research at Calvin College to chloroplast genomics at Michigan State University and cancer studies at Van Andel, Michigan is making itself a leader in the life sciences.”
“This is further recognition not only of the excellence of the research and education programs taking place at Van Andel Institute, but also that there is something special happening in the biomedical industry along Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile, throughout the region, and in the state of Michigan as a whole,” said Van Andel Institute Chairman & CEO David Van Andel.
The VAI-produced documentary The War on Cancer: One Soldier’s Story, a look at the life and career of Van Andel Institute Founding Research Director Dr. George Vande Woude, has received a national Award of Distinction for Best Documentary by the Communicator Awards, sanctioned by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, an organization consisting of professionals from acclaimed media, communications, advertising, creative, and marketing firms. The film was made in association with Grand Rapids-based Lawrence Productions and was directed by Regan LaMothe.
“Dr. Vande Woude’s career as a pioneer in cancer research is a story that needed to be shared,” said Van Andel Institute Vice President of Communications and External Relations Joe Gavan, one of the executive producers and co-writers of the film. “This award is further recognition of the importance of his life-changing work.”
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About Van Andel Institute
Established by Jay and Betty Van Andel in 1996, Van Andel Institute (VAI) is an independent research and educational organization based in Grand Rapids, Mich., dedicated to preserving, enhancing and expanding the frontiers of medical science, and to achieving excellence in education by probing fundamental issues of education and the learning process. VARI, the research arm of VAI, is dedicated to probing the genetic, cellular and molecular origins of cancer, Parkinson and other diseases and working to translate those findings into effective therapies. This is accomplished through the work of over 200 researchers in 18 on-site laboratories and in collaborative partnerships that span the globe.
