Academy Of Natural Sciences Of Philadelphia

UNDERSTAND THE NATURAL WORLD AND INSPIRE EVERYONE TO CARE FOR IT.

RESEARCH, CENTER FOR ACADEMY SCIENCE - ACADEMY SCIENTISTS CONDUCT RESEARCH AROUND THE WORLD, COLLECTING SAMPLES THAT HELP THEM DOCUMENT BIODIVERSITY, TRACE EVOLUTION, AND TRACK ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES OVER TIME. FOR OVER 200 YEARS, ACADEMY SCIENTISTS HAVE PRESERVED, CURATED, AND STUDIED WHAT IS NOW A WORLD-CLASS COLLECTION OF AN ESTIMATED 19 MILLION BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS DOCUMENTING THE HISTORY OF EUKARYOTIC LIFE ON EARTH. ACADEMY RESEARCHERS ALSO WORK TO UNDERSTAND, PROTECT, AND RESTORE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THROUGH BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH ON HUMAN IMPACTS, WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH REGULATORS, PLANNERS, PRACTITIONERS, AND STAKEHOLDERS. FUNDING FOR THE RESEARCH COMES FROM FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES AND FOUNDATIONS. THROUGH FESTIVALS, MEMBERS' NIGHT, BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR, POPULAR PUBLICATIONS, AND OUTREACH EVENTS (E.G., ACADEMY TOWN SQUARES AND CONVERSATIONS), SCIENTISTS SHARE THEIR DISCOVERIES, ENABLING THEIR COLLEAGUES, VISITORS, AND MEMBERS TO GAIN FURTHER INSIGHT INTO LIFE ON EARTH, ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES AND HOW TO MAINTAIN A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. ACADEMY SCIENTISTS CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS WHILE CULTIVATING OUR COLLECTIONS AND TRAVELING OUTSIDE THE MUSEUM FOR RESEARCH ON DOZENS OF FIELD TRIPS AND EXPEDITIONS. THE ACADEMY & DREXEL UNIVERSITY'S BIODIVERSITY, EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (BEES) PROGRAM HAS GROWN WITH MANY NEW PROJECTS ON THE HORIZON AS WE CONTINUE TO BE THE EPICENTER OF DISCOVERY. FROM DIGITIZATION OF THE COLLECTIONS, TO LOOKING FOR CHEMICAL CLUES TO BIODIVERSITY, TO UNDERSTANDING ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE IN WETLANDS AND WATERSHEDS, THE SCIENTISTS ARE LEADING RESEARCHERS IN NATURAL SCIENCES.

EDUCATION - THE ACADEMY BRINGS NATURAL SCIENCE TO LIFE THROUGH THREE FLOORS OF ENGAGING EXHIBITS, INCLUDING DINOSAURS AND OTHER ANCIENT CREATURES. WE REOPENED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN AUGUST 2020 AFTER HAVING BEEN SHUT DOWN DUE TO COVID-19 IN MARCH 2020. WE WERE CLOSED BY THE CITY OF PHILAELPHIA AGAIN FROM NOVEMBER 2020 UNTIL JANUARY 2021 DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS. WE REOPENED IN JANUARY 2021 AND REMAINED OPEN THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YAER. AT OUR MUSEUM, WE WELCOMED MORE THAN 41,000 VISITORS TO EXPLORE OUR DIORAMAS, DINOSAURS, LIVE ANIMALS, AND THE CHILDREN'S NATURE DISCOVERY CENTER, OUTSIDE IN. DUE TO THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, OUR DELIVERY OF PROGRAMS WAS CHANGED, BUT OUR RELEVANCE AND IMPACT REMAINED STRONG.IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, ACADEMY EDUCATORS REACHED MORE THAN 5,400 PEOPLE THROUGH 89 VIRTUAL PROGRAMS FOR BOTH ADULTS AND CHILDREN. WE BEGAN RESUMING IN-PERSON PROGRAMS TOWARDS THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR WHERE WE ENGAGED WITH 110 CHILDREN AND THEIR CAREGIVERS THROUGH 11 ADDITIONAL ONSITE AND FIELD TRIP PROGRAMS.THE ACADEMY'S NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED WOMEN IN NATURAL SCIENCES PROGRAM KNOWN AS WINS IS A FREE AFTER SCHOOL AND SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM FOR YOUNG WOMEN. THIS PROGRAM INTRODUCES HUNDREDS OF HIGH SCHOOL WOMEN TO FUTURE CAREERS IN SCIENCE. IN JUNE OF 2018 THE ACADEMY'S WINS PROGRAM RECEIVED THE PRESIDENTIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS AND ENGINEERING (STEM) MENTORING. IT IS THE HIGHEST NATIONAL MENTORING AWARD BESTOWED BY THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY AND THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. OUR ENGINEERING WINS PROGRAM IS A CURRICULUM MODULE THAT INFUSES WINS LESSONS AND ENGINEERING CONTENT AND CONNECTS STUDENTS WITH SCIENTISTS WHO SERVE AS MENTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE PRORAM-TO-WORKFORCE PIPELINE FOR YOUNG WOMEN OF COLOR IN STEM CAREERS. THIS PROGRAMIS CURRENTLYY OFFERED IN A HYBRID FORMAT, AND THE 70 GIRLS IN WINS WERE ENGAGED WEEKLY IN THE PROGRAM.THE ACADEMY CONTINUES TO LAUNCH SEVERAL EXCITING NEW INITIATIVES AIMED AT TAKING OUR VISITOR EXPERIENCE TO THE NEXT LEVEL. WE FINALIZED A NEW EXPERIENTIAL MASTER PLAN AND IMPLEMENTED THE FIRST STEPS TOWARD MAKING PHYSICAL CHANGES TO OUR GALLERIES' INTERPRETIVE CONTENT. A FULL-SCALE PLAN FOR RESCRIPTING THE INSTITUTION'S SIGNATURE GALLERIES IS UNDERWAY. FOR CLIMATE YEAR, THE ACADEMY PRESENTED THE EXHIBITION GIDEON MENDEL: DROWNING WORLD IN THE WILLIAM B. DIETRICH GALLERY. THE EXHIBITION BY THE AWARD-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER PRESENTS 37 ARRESTING PORTRAITS OF INDIVIDUALS AROUND THE WORLD EXPERIENCING EXTREME FLOODING EVENTS. THE EXHIBITION DRAWS FORTH A SHARED SENSE OF OUR COMMON HUMANITY BY DEPICTING HOW CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS EVERYONE.

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES - THE ACADEMY'S LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES IS INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR ITS RARE AND HISTORIC BOOKS, JOURNALS, ART, ARTIFACTS, MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND THE UNIQUE PAPERS AND RESEARCH OF ACADEMY MEMBERS AND STAFF. THE LIBRARY HOLDS MORE THAN 250,000 TITLES THAT SPAN FIVE CENTURIES. OUR ARCHIVES COLLECTIONS CONTAIN OVER A MILLION ITEMS, INCLUDING MANUSCRIPTS, CORRESPONDENCE, FIELD NOTEBOOKS, FILMS, JOURNALS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS. THE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CONTINUES TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO ACADEMICS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE DEPARTMENT EXPERIENCED A MAJOR GROWTH IN APPOINTMENTS FROM THE DREXEL COMMUNITY THROUGH BOTH ON-SITE VISITS TO VIEW THE COLLECTION AND PRESENTATIONS ON ACCESS TO VARIOUS RESEARCH COURSES ON CAMPUS. DURING 2021, THE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES HELD A SERIES OF VIRTUAL EVENTS INCLUDING NATURA FEMINAE: PURSING SCIENCE AGAINST THE ODDS, AND SECRETS OF THE DIORAMA. BOTH EVENTS HIGHLIGHTED LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES COLLECTIONS AND BROUGHT TO LIGHT THE HISTORY OF WOMEN NATURALISTS AT THE ACADEMY AND THE HISTORY OF THE ACADEMY'S DIORAMAS.