An Evening with Bonnie Garmus on Storytelling, Science, and Women’s Empowerment

This event is sold out.

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is excited to welcome Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry.

During this moderated discussion, Garmus will explore themes from her novel and share the inspiration and experiences that led her to write the award-winning book. Museum President & CEO Sonia Winner will serve as moderator.

Doors open at 6:30pm; the discussion will begin at 7pm. Beverages and grab-and-go items will be available for purchase in Origins Café before the program.

Immediately following the program, Garmus will sign copies of Lessons in Chemistry. Attendees can order copies in advance from our partner Loganberry Books; copies may also be purchased at the event. Signed books will be available through Loganberry for those who are unable to attend.

This program is part of the Conversations with Women in STEAM lecture series.

Tickets & Parking

Leadership Circle: $20*
Members: $25
Nonmembers: $30

Members: Please log in to your online Museum account to ensure access to discounted tickets. Your member discount will be reflected in your shopping cart.

Tickets limited to four per order.

Parking is available in the Museum's attached garage. Standard rates apply.

*To learn more about joining the Leadership Circle, please contact Kelly Federico, Annual Fund Manager, at 216.231.4600 x3360 or kfederico@cmnh.org.

About Bonnie Garmus

Bonnie Garmus is the author of Lessons in Chemistry, a number-one global bestseller and winner of over 15 national and international awards, including Barnes & Noble’s Book of the Year, Hay Festival’s Book of the Year, Goodreads Choice Award Debut of the Year, British Book Awards Author of the Year, Waterstones Author of the Year, the Nielsen Platinum Booksellers award, and many more. It was also selected by Queen Camilla for the Queen’s Reading Room and has been on the New York Times, Sunday Times, and Der Spiegel bestseller lists for nearly three years. Currently published in 43 territories, Lessons in Chemistry has sold more than 8 million copies.

About Sonia Winner

Sonia Winner became the 10th director of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in July 2018. In this role, she partners with a nearly 40-person Board of Directors and nearly 140 staff members to advance the mission of the Museum—an institution with $282 million in assets. For more than 100 years, the Museum has inspired a passion for science and nature in its visitors. It ranks among the top 10 natural history museums in the United States in terms of endowment, size of collection, and attendance. Through the Museum’s $150 million transformation project, Winner has spearheaded a complete reimagining of the Museum’s campus and exhibits, creating an innovative model for natural history museums worldwide.

Prior to her appointment as CEO, Winner served in leadership roles at Columbia University from 2011–2016, culminating in a promotion to Vice President for University Development. Winner came to Columbia from Case Western Reserve University, where she spent more than a decade serving in associate dean roles at the Weatherhead School of Management and the Law School. Before entering the development field, Winner spent many years in law career services and served as a clinical law professor.

In 2024, Winner received the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Neighborhood Award, which honors significant contributions to the University Circle and Greater University Circle Neighborhoods, and was selected for Cleveland Leadership Center’s Leadership Cleveland Class of 2025. She was also named one of Crain’s Cleveland Business’s Women of Note and included in Cleveland Magazine’s Cleveland 500 list. In 2023, Winner was named Cleveland Magazine's Community Leader of the Year and was chosen as a Cleveland Business Journal Women of Influence honoree. Winner also served as Co-Chair on The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Reaccreditation Committee for the American Museum of Natural History. She currently serves as Vice Chair on the Board of Visitors Committee for Cleveland State University, chaired the Young Lawyers Section of the Bar Association, and is a past president of the Law Placement Association of Cleveland.

Winner was born at Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga, Philippines and is married to Kevin F. O’Neill, a First Amendment scholar and professor.