30 | EXPLORE WINTER 2023 From the moment you approach Wade Oval, it’s difficult to miss the recent progress on the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s transformation project. As the Museum’s new entrance opens and the existing galleries undergo a complete redesign, it is clearer than ever that this project will change the very nature of the natural- history-museum experience. What is less apparent—though perhaps even more impactful— are the behind-the-scenes changes occurring at the Museum. TRANSFORMATION COMES FROM WITHIN The words “transformation comes from within” may be cliché, but it’s unusual to find an institution that truly embodies the ideal. You can count the Cleveland Museum of Natural History among the rare few. Though not as readily visible as its evolving exterior, the Museum is also rethinking its organizational structure, creating new roles that transcend the typical divisions between scientific disciplines. As part of this collaborative, interdisciplinary approach, the Museum recently announced the appointment of Dr. Emma Finestone as Assistant Curator of Human Origins and Dr. Elizabeth “Ebeth” Sawchuk as Assistant Curator of Human Evolution. Their newly established positions will advance the Museum’s renowned anthropology program while providing a new model for connecting the human past with our lives today. Indeed, Drs. Finestone and Sawchuk have already begun to collaborate with the Museum’s team of scientists in an effort to help illuminate how the past shapes our present world. “It’s such an exciting time to join the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, as it undergoes a major transformation and aims to bring science to the community in new and innovative ways,” Dr. Finestone says. “We’re breaking down boundaries that have long been traditional aspects of natural history museums, and it’s gratifying to play a part in that.” Transformative by Nature Taking Science From the Field to the Community Dr. Elizabeth “Ebeth” Sawchuk
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