The Cleveland Museum of Natural History has announced that Evalyn Gates, Ph.D., has been named executive director and chief executive officer of the institution effective May 17, 2010. This follows an 18-month international search chaired by A. Chace Anderson, president of the board of trustees of the Museum.
"Evalyn Gates is the ideal professional to lead The Cleveland Museum of Natural History at this time," commented Anderson. "She is a distinguished scientist who understands the importance of generating broad appeal for science at a time when CMNH is looking to reinvent how we present natural history. She also has the proven leadership ability to bring scientists, educators and donors together to make this goal a reality as we begin a major expansion and renovation plan. In addition, she brings strong Cleveland ties that will benefit the Museum, University Circle and the community."
Dr. Gates is currently the assistant director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics (KICP) at the University of Chicago, an internationally renowned research center for the study of the structure, composition and evolution of the Universe from the earliest moments of cosmic history to the present. KICP scientists are also engaged in a variety of dynamic education and outreach programs that extend its science into classrooms in Chicago and museums around the world. As part of the leadership team at KICP, Gates has been responsible for the overall management of the center and its key programs, including the prestigious KICP Postdoctoral Research Fellowships. She is also a member of the research faculty in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, with an active program of research in cosmology and particle astrophysics.
She received her Ph.D. in theoretical particle physics from Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in 1990, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University before joining the University of Chicago in 1992. She earned a B.S. in physics from The College of William and Mary and a B.S. in biomedical engineering from CWRU.
Gates was born in Philadelphia and raised in Batavia, New York. Her husband Eric Pelander, a management consultant, is originally from South Euclid, Ohio.
