Museum Announces New Leadership Position
CLEVELAND—August 10, 2022—The Cleveland Museum of Natural History announced today the promotion of Dr. Gavin Svenson to Chief Science Officer. Dr. Svenson assumes this newly created role as the Museum continues its $150 million project to transform its campus, exhibits, and educational programming. In addition to his current responsibilities, which include overseeing the Museum’s Research & Collections and Natural Areas Divisions, serving on the senior leadership team, and working with diverse departments across the institution, Dr. Svenson will oversee the Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium and Ralph Mueller Observatory.
In various roles over the past decade, Dr. Svenson has been a major force in driving strategies in support of the Museum’s mission. Most recently, he served as Director of Research & Collections and Curator of Invertebrate Zoology. In this capacity, he reorganized the Museum’s curatorial structure and built a multidisciplinary team of scientists who will better integrate scientific research with the Museum’s exhibits and education programs. He has also been responsible for managing 12 Museum collections that contain more than 5 million objects and specimens, and for overseeing the stewardship of 66 nature preserves totaling 11,860 acres across northern Ohio.
In 2021, Dr. Svenson spearheaded the development of a national survey on science literacy and helped conceive a future direction for the Museum as part of its new strategic plan. He has also played a prominent role in the planning phases of the Museum’s transformation project. In collaboration with design partners and staff from the Research & Collections and Education teams, he has been instrumental in reimagining the Museum’s galleries and visitor experience to tell the story of natural history in a dynamic new way.
“Dr. Svenson’s insights have been integral in shaping the content for the new Museum, which will highlight the interconnectedness of humans and nature,” said Sonia Winner, the Museum’s President & CEO. “By contributing to this process and guiding our scientific strategy, he has touched all aspects of the Museum that inform our vision for the future. His promotion to Chief Science Officer affirms his continuing impact on our organization.”
As the Museum creates a new model for how natural history museums engage and empower the public, the work of on-staff researchers and educators will play a more visible part in the guest experience.
“Visitors will walk away with a deeper appreciation of science and nature—and how they relate to our lives,” said Dr. Svenson. “We’re creating a truly world-class institution in Cleveland, and I am honored to lead the team of scientists helping to bring it to life.”
Dr. Svenson is an entomologist with expertise in the biological diversity and evolutionary history of praying mantises. His work has yielded a number of new species and revealed insights that are changing the traditional classification of these insects.
Dr. Svenson received his B.S. in entomology from Cornell University in 2002 and his Ph.D. in zoology from Brigham Young University in 2007. He holds appointments as Adjunct Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland State University, and as Research Associate at the Field Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History.
About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Transformation Project
In June 2021, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History broke ground on its $150 million transformation project, which includes an expansion, a complete reimagining of its campus and all its exhibits, and the addition of new public spaces. Pioneering a new model for natural history museums, this dynamic reinvention will place visitors at the center of the Museum experience—allowing them to better understand their connection with the natural world and the relevance of science to their daily lives. The project will expand the Museum’s building and outdoor visitor areas to more than 375,000 square feet. Various areas of the Museum remain open during construction, and phased openings of the new and reimagined spaces will begin in fall 2022.
About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History illuminates the world around us and inspires visitors to engage with the natural forces that shape their lives. Since its founding in 1920, the Museum has pioneered scientific research to advance knowledge across diverse fields of study and used its outstanding collections, which encompass more than 5 million artifacts and specimens, to deepen the public’s understanding of the dynamic connections between humans and nature. Through its Natural Areas Program, the Museum stewards nearly 12,000 acres of protected ecosystems across northern Ohio. A community gathering place, educational center, and research institution, the Museum is a vital resource that serves Cleveland and the nation. For more information, visit CMNH.org
Media Contacts
Samantha Guenther
External Communications Manager
216.403.4557
sguenther@cmnh.org
Sandra Stafford
SPQR
216.509.3973
sandra@spqrpublicrelations.com
