ASMD

ASMD convened the ASMD 2025 Directors Forum in Salt Lake City, Utah in February. Our 2.5 day meeting started on February 2 with our traditional informal reception in the evening at the conference hotel. ASMD Secretary-Treasurer Jason Cryan, Executive Director of the Natural History Museum of Utah, was our host. Sessions took place in the Natural History Museum of Utah, which is located in a LEED Gold 163,000 square feet facility in the foothills above Salt Lake City and is working towards being a Net Zero Building. We explored exhibitions and behind the scenes at NHMU, as well as visited Olympic Park and the Alf Engen Ski Museum in Park City and the Hill Aerospace Museum near Ogden with their Directors and leadership teams. We also had a visual and dining experience in the Cosm Dome in Salt Lake City. The program topics and discussions included taking action on climate issues and sustainability including presentations on the impacts of Drying of the Great Salt Lake, imbedding science and hope in the NHMU’s Climate of Hope exhibition, and the NHMU’s work to reach Net Zero in their facility. We also had a panel discussions that considered non-western and indigenous perspectives of science. A fireside chat facilitated by ASMD President William Harris, and Christofer Nelson and Marilyn Jackson (President and CEO of ASTC and AAM, respectively) addressed tackling the big challenges museums are facing. We also looked at impacts and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence with university and museum experts. The final program is available at this link.