Making a Vision a Reality
Our leadership unites some of the brightest minds in science, business, education, and civil service to execute the Danforth mission and steward its legacy.
Giles Oldroyd, PhD
President
Learn More
Tom Bander, MBA
Vice President of Development
Learn More
Djuan Coleman, MBA
Vice President for Finance
Learn More
Anna Dibble, MBA
Interim COO and Vice President of People and Culture
Learn More
Todd Hornburg
Vice President of Facilities and Special Services
Learn More
Elizabeth P. McNulty
Vice President of Marketing & Communications
Learn More
Allison Miller, PhD
Member, Vice President of Research, Professor Biology, Saint Louis University
Learn More
Karla Roeber
Vice President of External Affairs, Office of the President
Learn More
R. Keith Slotkin, PhD
Member, Vice President of Commercialization; Professor, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri - Columbia
Learn More
Nigel Taylor, PhD
Member, Vice President of Impact and Dorothy J. King Distinguished Investigator
Learn More
Principal Investigators
Meet the People Changing the World with Plants
Our principal investigators are the engine that powers the Danforth Center. Their accomplishments have laid the groundwork for countless new technologies. They attract the brightest minds in the field for their labs and land major national research grants. We are honored to work with them.
Board of Directors
Penny Pennington
Chair | Managing Partner, Edward Jones
Lisa Ainsworth, PhD
Professor of Plant Biology, USDA-ARS, Photosynthesis Research Unit, University of Illinois — Urbana-Champaign
Benjamin Ola Akande, PhD
Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer, Stifel Financial
Senator Roy Blunt
Chairman, HBS Leadership Strategies Advisory Services
Sara Yang Bosco
Retired SVP, Secretary and General Counsel, Emerson
Patrick O. Brown, MD, PhD
Chief Visionary Officer and Founder, Impossible Foods
Johannes Burlin
Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Tilia Holdings, LLC
Marilyn Bush
President, Bank of America St. Louis and Market Executive for Business Banking, Bank of America
Mun Y. Choi, PhD
President, University of Missouri System; Chancellor, University of Missouri-Columbia
Desiree Coleman-Fry
Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance
Christopher B. Danforth
Owner, President, and Chairman, Kennelwood Pet Resort
Cary Fowler, PhD
President, Food Security Leadership Council
Michael Graham, PhD
CS Research & Development Lead, Bayer US - Crop Science
Charles L. Isbell, Jr., PhD
Chancellor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Vice President, University of Illinois System
James L. Johnson III
Partner, Johnson Bender Asset Management
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Olympian, Founder and CEO of Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation
Ruth E. Kim, JD
Retired General Counsel, Senior Vice President and Senior Partner, FleishmanHillard
Lúcia G. Lohmann, PhD
President and Director, Missouri Botanical Garden
Ann C. Marr
Retired EVP, Global Human Resources, World Wide Technology, LLC; President, WWT Foundation
Andrew D. Martin, PhD
Chancellor, Washington University in St. Louis
Anna E. McKelvey, LLM
Community Volunteer
Thomas C. Melzer
Managing Director, RiverVest Venture Partners
William L. Polk, Jr.
Managing Partner, Egis Capital Partners
Michael W. Riney
Founder and Managing Director, QRM Capital
Todd R. Schnuck
Immediate Past Chair | Chairman and CEO, Schnuck Markets, Inc.
John F. McDonnell
Emeritus Director | Retired Chairman of the Board, McDonnell Douglas Corporation
Board of Directors
Penny Pennington
Chair | Managing Partner, Edward Jones
Lisa Ainsworth, PhD
Professor of Plant Biology, USDA-ARS, Photosynthesis Research Unit, University of Illinois — Urbana-Champaign
Benjamin Ola Akande, PhD
Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer, Stifel Financial
Senator Roy Blunt
Chairman, HBS Leadership Strategies Advisory Services
Sara Yang Bosco
Retired SVP, Secretary and General Counsel, Emerson
Patrick O. Brown, MD, PhD
Chief Visionary Officer and Founder, Impossible Foods
Johannes Burlin
Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Tilia Holdings, LLC
Marilyn Bush
President, Bank of America St. Louis and Market Executive for Business Banking, Bank of America
Mun Y. Choi, PhD
President, University of Missouri System; Chancellor, University of Missouri-Columbia
Desiree Coleman-Fry
Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance
Christopher B. Danforth
Owner, President, and Chairman, Kennelwood Pet Resort
Cary Fowler, PhD
President, Food Security Leadership Council
Michael Graham, PhD
CS Research & Development Lead, Bayer US - Crop Science
Charles L. Isbell, Jr., PhD
Chancellor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Vice President, University of Illinois System
James L. Johnson III
Partner, Johnson Bender Asset Management
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Olympian, Founder and CEO of Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation
Ruth E. Kim, JD
Retired General Counsel, Senior Vice President and Senior Partner, FleishmanHillard
Lúcia G. Lohmann, PhD
President and Director, Missouri Botanical Garden
Ann C. Marr
Retired EVP, Global Human Resources, World Wide Technology, LLC; President, WWT Foundation
Andrew D. Martin, PhD
Chancellor, Washington University in St. Louis
Anna E. McKelvey, LLM
Community Volunteer
Thomas C. Melzer
Managing Director, RiverVest Venture Partners
William L. Polk, Jr.
Managing Partner, Egis Capital Partners
Michael W. Riney
Founder and Managing Director, QRM Capital
Todd R. Schnuck
Immediate Past Chair | Chairman and CEO, Schnuck Markets, Inc.
John F. McDonnell
Emeritus Director | Retired Chairman of the Board, McDonnell Douglas Corporation
Scientific Advisory Board
Eric Ward, PhD
Chair | President, AgBiome, Inc.
David Braun, PhD
Director, Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG), Professor in the Division of Plant Science and Technology, and the Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri – Columbia
Natalia de Leon, PhD
Professor, Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jen Heemstra, PhD
Charles Allen Thomas Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis
Jan Leach, PhD
Associate Dean for Research, College of Agricultural Sciences, University Distinguished Professor, Colorado State University
Jennifer Nemhauser, PhD
Professorship for Excellence in Biology, Department of Biology, University of Washington
Scientific Advisory Board
Eric Ward, PhD
Chair | President, AgBiome, Inc.
David Braun, PhD
Director, Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG), Professor in the Division of Plant Science and Technology, and the Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri – Columbia
Natalia de Leon, PhD
Professor, Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jen Heemstra, PhD
Charles Allen Thomas Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis
Jan Leach, PhD
Associate Dean for Research, College of Agricultural Sciences, University Distinguished Professor, Colorado State University
Jennifer Nemhauser, PhD
Professorship for Excellence in Biology, Department of Biology, University of Washington
