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Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

September 25, 2019

For more information, contact:
Sloan MacRae
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
412.353.4678 (office)
MacRaeS@carnegiemnh.org

Director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History Elected to Executive Board of International Council of Museums

ICOM governing body leads global discussion of museum ethics, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and the evolving definition of museums

Eric Dorfman in the exhibition Dinosaurs in Their Time

Dr. Eric Dorfman, Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History was elected to the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Executive Board at the 25th ICOM General Conference in Kyoto, Japan. Dorfman was nominated by the Board of Directors of ICOM-US, representing the interests of United States museums within ICOM, and was the only nominee representing North America.

Dorfman’s position within ICOM gives Carnegie Museum of Natural History the opportunity to influence the future of museums at a critical time in history, when new technology and global issues like climate change uniquely position museums as education stations and change agents. Dorfman’s election positions Carnegie Musuem of Natural History, already an international leader in natural sciences, to become an international leader on the subject of the Anthropocene, the proposed name of our current ecological and human-impacted era.

“Congratulations to our trusted colleague as he assumes this major role in service to the field,” said ICOM-US Co-Chair Thomas J. Loughman, Director and CEO of Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art (Hartford, CT), “We are proud to have Eric’s leadership and stewardship part of the mix of the ICOM Executive Board.”

As the only international organization of its kind in the museum industry, ICOM is the leader of the future of museums. Membership includes 40,000 professionals from more than 141 countries. The Executive Board is the primary governing body of ICOM, responsible for furthering ICOM values of integrity, independence, and professionalism.

“ICOM is leading the discussion of not only what it means to be a museum, but also about the ethical responsibilities museums owe their audiences and the natural world in these changing times,” said Dorfman. “I am honored to represent Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the city of Pittsburgh in this vital global conversation.”

Dorfman served as President of the International Council of Museums Committee for Museums and Collections of Natural History (ICOM NATHIST) from 2013 to 2019. During his time as President of NATHIST, he doubled membership on the committee and led Carnegie Museum of Natural History in hosting the largest conference in the history of NATHIST in October 2017. He is Vice Chair of the ICOM Ethics Committee and on the board of ICOM-US.

About the International Council of Museums (ICOM)

ICOM is a non-governmental, global organization of museums and museum professionals. Created in 1946, ICOM sets professional and ethical standards for museums around the world. The organization serves as a space for experts to discuss and make recommendations on pressing issues including natural and cultural heritage, research, conservation, and effective communication of ideas. Learn more at icom.museum.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History, one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, is among the top natural history museums in the country. It maintains, preserves, and interprets an extraordinary collection of millions of objects and scientific specimens used to broaden understanding of evolution, conservation, and biodiversity. Carnegie Museum of Natural History generates new scientific knowledge, advances science literacy, and inspires visitors of all ages to become passionate about science, nature, and world cultures. More information is available by calling 412.622.3131 or by visiting the website, www.carnegiemnh.org.