This episode of Nonprofit Report explores the essential role natural history and science museums play in education, research, and community engagement. Museum leaders share how their institutions promote biodiversity, access to knowledge, and public trust in science.
Guests:
Claudio Gomez, Executive Director, McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture; University of Tennessee
Amy Harris, Director, University of Michigan Museum of Natural History
Halsey Spruance, Executive Director, Delaware Museum of Nature & Science
Interview by: Mark Oppenheim
Key Points:
- Natural history museums act as libraries of biodiversity and provide critical scientific reference points for environmental and conservation research.
- The University of Michigan’s museum connects public visitors directly with working scientists and research collections.
- The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science completed an $11M reinvention, including interactive research exhibits and science career exploration.
- Museums are playing a growing role in workforce development, especially in expanding access for women and underrepresented communities.
- Institutional shifts toward diversity in staffing, boards, and partnerships are helping museums better reflect and serve their communities.
- Climate change, extinction, and sustainability are framed through interdisciplinary exhibits to educate and drive informed public decision-making.
Other Points on Natural History Museums:
Claudio Gómez described the McClung Museum as a “library of biodiversity,” preserving freshwater mussel specimens and documenting the environmental impact of infrastructure like Tennessee Valley dams. Amy Harris emphasized the public-facing mission of her museum, which offers direct access to science through spotlight events and rotating exhibits, resisting the idea of narrowing to a single age demographic. Halsey Spruance discussed how his institution uses its specialized collections to inform engaging, research-based public exhibits—making science relevant and personal to each visitor.
Beyond exhibits, all three institutions are working to make museums more inclusive. Spruance shared how the Delaware Museum is diversifying its board and hiring through outreach to HBCUs and leadership programs. Gómez discussed a campus-wide challenge to mirror the state’s diversity in leadership and staffing. Harris pointed to her university museum’s student workforce—diverse, paid, and trained—as a major strength in audience connection.
From STEM equity to cross-cultural collections, the institutions are aligning internal policies with community values to better engage and serve a wider public.