Around the Pier: Postdocs Rank Scripps a Top Place to Work

Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego was ranked among the top 10 U.S. institutions listed as “Best Places to Work: Postdocs” in the April 2013 issue of The Scientist magazine.

Scripps Oceanography ranked number seven in the nation and, along with neighboring La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, is one of two La Jolla institutions listed.

This year’s survey represents a jump for Scripps from a ranking of 11^th in 2012.

Survey respondents, all of whom were non-tenured life scientists working in academia, industry, or noncommercial research institutions, recognized Scripps for its strengths in the categories of “Quality of Communication” and “Value of the Postdoc Experience.”

“Postdoctoral researchers are extremely valuable members of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography community,” said Scripps interim director Catherine Constable. “With this high ranking, it’s wonderful to know that postdocs’ experiences at Scripps are as valuable to them as their expertise and hard work are to the institution.”

Postdoc survey-takers responded positively to statements about Scripps such as “my principal investigator communicates expectations and feedback clearly,” “the training and experience I receive as a postdoc will be valuable to me in my future career,” and “I am proud of the research work I am doing as a postdoc.”

Scripps has continued to climb the ranks in “Best Places to Work” surveys each year for its strong postdoctoral program and desirable working atmosphere. Among West Coast institutions, The Scientist magazine listed Scripps as number three in 2012, number five in 2011, and number seven in 2010.

• View the 2013 rankings in The Scientist
• Scripps’s high ranking was also highlighted in the March 31, 2013 U-T San Diego article “Postdocs Call San Diego a Great Place to Work.”
• Learn more about the Scripps Postdoctoral Scholar Program

– Shannon Casey