Entomology Department Tops Tucson Small Employers
The University of Arizona's Department of Entomology earned first place among small employers in Tucson's workplace competition for a second year in a row.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Human Resources
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The University of Arizona Department of Entomology earned first place in the small employer category of Tucson's top workplace competition for the second consecutive year. St. Michael's School placed second and Mattamy Homes Tucson Division placed third.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights how a university research unit is viewed as a desirable place to work within the local employment market. The results also show the range of small employers, from schools to homebuilders, competing for workers in Tucson.
St. Michael's School, founded in 1958, reports 62 local employees, while Mattamy Homes Tucson Division, founded in 1978, reports 52 local employees. The competition's small employer category included 13 winners, from the Department of Entomology to Cadden Community Management.
The players
University of Arizona Department of Entomology
The academic department that conducts pest-control research and curates the university's insect collection, and that has been credited with helping save Arizona's cotton industry.
St. Michael's School
A Tucson school founded in 1958 that placed second in the small employer category with 62 local employees.
Mattamy Homes Tucson Division
The Tucson division of the Canadian homebuilder Mattamy Homes, founded in 1978, that placed third in the small employer category with 52 local employees.
The details
The Department of Entomology's pest-control research has been credited with helping save Arizona's cotton industry, and the department houses and curates a university insect collection of about two million specimens representing 35,000 species. The competition ranked small workplaces in Tucson, with St. Michael's School and Mattamy Homes Tucson Division finishing behind the entomology department.
Timeline
The Department of Entomology first won the small employer category in 2025.
The department earned first place for a second consecutive year on November 7, 2026.
Local Workforce Context
The Department of Entomology's recognition traces back to its pest-control research that has been credited with helping save Arizona's cotton industry. Its repeat win for a second consecutive year extends that record into how Tucson's employers are rated as places to work.
Job seekers in Tucson can use the ranking to identify small employers recognized for their workplaces. The results show which local organizations are rated highly by their own staff.
The takeaway
Workplace rankings can point job seekers toward employers that consistently earn recognition from their own staff. Checking repeat winners, like the Department of Entomology, can help separate one-time honors from sustained reputations.
Further reading
Explore more on Human Resources to see how Tucson employers compete for talent.
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