Following an international search, Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH) welcomes Kathy Hollis as its inaugural Director of Collections Care and Access. The new leadership position exemplifies the museum’s strategic commitment to future-proofing its historic collections of approximately 22 million specimens and objects and making them more accessible to scientists and students around the world, as well as to visitors in Pittsburgh. Hollis officially joined CMNH on March 4, 2024.
Since 2011, Hollis served as the Collection Manager for Paleobiology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. In this role, she developed and implemented the collections management strategy for the National Fossil Collection, which includes some 40 million specimens. In addition to overseeing large collections acquisitions, moves, and facility upgrades, she managed numerous digitization projects. Prior to her time at the Smithsonian, Kathy served in several collections roles at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, where she received her M.S. in Museum and Field Studies. She also holds an M.S. in Geology from the Ohio State University and a B.A. in Geology from the College of Wooster.
Hollis will report directly to Gretchen Baker, Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Vice President of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. She will manage staff across all the museum’s collecting areas: Anthropology, Botany, Mineralogy, Herpetology, Malacology, Mammalogy, Ornithology, Invertebrate Zoology, Invertebrate Paleontology, Paleobotany, and Vertebrate Paleontology. Hollis will lead initiatives to make the collections more accessible for research and public engagement and will also oversee conservation, archives, database systems, and registration.
“The diversity of collections held in natural history museums can be dizzying—from pinned insects to dinosaur bones to human remains. And the issues in managing them are equally complex.” said Baker “This position emerged as a priority during our recent strategic planning process. We were looking for a leader to help us realize a future-forward vision for this historic collection and to knit together a novel cross-disciplinary team. We are thrilled to have found Kathy and can’t wait to welcome her to CMNH.”
“I am honored to join CMNH’s incredible team dedicated to the values of scientific inquiry, shared experience, and sense of wonder and curiosity about our world,” said Hollis. “I am eager to help support the museum’s commitment to strong collections stewardship so that the collections in the museum’s care are accessible to the communities we serve. Having grown up along the Ohio River, I’m also excited to return to the Ohio River valley and call Pittsburgh home!”
