For Immediate Release
Contact:
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Leigh Kish (412) 622-3361
KishL@CarnegieMuseums.org

February 16, 2009

Carnegie Museum of Natural History appoints
Deputy Director, Ellen McCallie

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania…Carnegie Museum of Natural History is pleased to announce the appointment of Ellen McCallie as the new Deputy Director, effective March 9, 2009. As Deputy Director, McCallie looks forward most to teaming with Carnegie staff, scientists, and researchers to increase the museum ’s profile on the national stage.

“Carnegie Museum of Natural History is a museum with great strengths in its collections and staff,” states McCallie. “I am proud to join an organization that is considered one of the very best natural history museums in the country for its work in scientific research and its commitment to science literacy and community partnerships.”

McCallie comes to Pittsburgh from the Washington DC-based Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE), funded by the National Science Foundation, where she served as its first director. Her background includes experiences in various sectors of the field of informal science education, including botanical gardens, science television, environmental education, research, and evaluation.

“I am thrilled to welcome Ellen to Carnegie Museum of Natural History,” said Samuel Taylor, Director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. “She is unmatched in her experience and qualifications, namely in working with the National Science Foundation in Washington, DC. She is ideally suited for the position given the museum’s needs, interests, and future pursuits.”

McCallie’s first major effort with Carnegie Museum of Natural History will be to take a leadership role in its strategic planning process. She will also focus on strengthening the museum’s public programs, and evaluating and increasing the strength and depth of museum collaborations with universities and regional public schools.

Before entering the field of informal science education, McCallie conducted ecological and agricultural research in the Amazon Basin and Indonesia as a Fulbright Scholar. She earned a B.A. in biology with a concentration in environmental studies at Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA. As part of the Center for Inquiry in Science Teaching and Learning (CISTL), she completed an M.Ed. from Washington University, St. Louis, MO. McCallie also earned an M.S. in tropical soils and international development from Cornell University. She is currently completing a Ph.D. in science education at King’s College, London, UK, as part of a collaborative program of the Center for Informal Learning and Schools (CILS). Her research focuses on argumentation and equity among scientists and publics on topics of controversial science-based issues, such as global climate change.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History, one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., and Mondays between July 4 and the Monday before Labor Day, the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and President’s Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History is $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens, $11 for children ages 3–18 and full-time students with ID, and free to children under 3 and Carnegie Museums members. Convenient visitor parking is available in the museum’s six-level garage at Forbes Avenue and S. Craig Street. For more information, please visit www.carnegiemnh.org or call (412) 622-3131.

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