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The Scientist magazine ranks MSU No. 4 among the "Best Places to Work 2008."

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EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University ranks No. 4 among the “Best Places to Work 2008: Academia,” published in the November issue of The Scientist magazine.

The university moved up from No. 16 in the sixth annual survey by the research trade magazine. MSU’s nearest rival among Big Ten universities is the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, itself now at No. 16. The top three institutions in the rankings were the J. David Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, Princeton University and the Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake, N.Y.

“This ranking reflects what all of us here at MSU and in the College of Natural Science have known for many years -- that our university is providing outstanding boundary conditions for a successful career in the sciences and for excellent work-life balance,” said Wolfgang Bauer, Department of Physics and Astronomy chairperson. “Short commutes, fairly low housing prices and a very pleasant community contribute to our work satisfaction as much as outstanding facilities to conduct our science.”

For Mary Nettleman, MSU’s faculty development resources are a top attribute for researchers, together with a strong institutional focus on mentoring and a deep culture of multidisciplinary research.

“This place has broken down barriers other places have built up over the centuries,” said Nettleman, chairperson of the Department of Medicine in the College of Human Medicine.

“You can’t be excellent as a scientist if you’re just in the corner of a lab,” she said. “Because we don’t have silos – we’re a collection of smaller colleges – you have to step outside and find someone who complements your work.”

Integration with the surrounding community itself is another strength at MSU, she added, enriching its educational, clinical and research models.

Nettlemen and entomologist Rufas Isaacs, an associate professor in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, were quoted in the magazine’s report. Isaacs also appreciates the interdisciplinary nature of working in his college, as well as the public outreach.

Isaacs said he spends nearly half his time on MSU extension work. “It’s an aspect of my job that I like, and it’s a way of me seeing my research in action in helping benefit people’s lives.”

The magazine’s rankings are based on 2,313 “usable and qualified” responses to an online survey earlier this year. Invitations were sent to readers and Web site registrants who identified themselves as tenure or tenure-track professionals working in academia or other noncommercial research institutions. Seventy-three institutions – 54 in the U.S. – were ranked.

Respondents assessed their working environment based on 41 criteria. Those fit into one of eight major categories: job satisfaction; peers; infrastructure/environment; research resources; pay; management/policies; teaching/mentoring; and tenure.

The survey write-up and supporting information can be accessed at http://www.the-scientist.com/2008/11/1/47/1/.

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Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.