Meanwhile... at the Museum

Dave Might, Exhibit Artist

If you've been listening to this podcast, you've probably noticed one name coming up again and again - Dave Might. Today we're talking to the man himself. From mounting the animal specimens in Get Into Nature to crafting Fountain Square in Cincinnati In Motion, Dave has made his mark on CMC, and millions of guests, for 37 years - since he started at CMC in 1987 with work on the Ice Age exhibit. We'll talk about how Dave got here, what an Exhibit Artist does, and the time he had to taxidermy a rhinoceros. 

Samantha Leone, Assistant Manager of Museum Engagement

Teacher, twirler, princess, elf. Samantha Leone has filled all of these roles... more or less. Samantha knew she wanted to work with young people in an educational setting, but discovered she didn't want to be a school teacher. She found her way to CMC, where she works with our Youth Programs participants, our adult volunteers and directly with museum visitors. Join us as we talk to Samantha about everything from the thrill of being recognized as "The Museum Lady" to getting adults to face their fears and touch the cockroaches.

Elizabeth Pierce, President & CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center

To kick off the new year in style, we are welcoming our President and CEO Elizabeth Pierce to the show. We'll dig into her role of Master Plate Spinner, find out how she came to be our fearless leader, and talk about seeing opportunity in the challenges inherent to an ever-changing world. 

Maat Manninen, Resgistrar

Some people seem to drop right into a role in life and stay there. Others undertake a long and epic journey, zig-zagging through a series of jobs, fields, and possibly even across the country a few times. Maat Manninen, our Registrar at CMC, is from that second group. His six and a half years at CMC were preceded by time spent in a rock band, as a professional art handler/hanger, and in museums as far apart as Boston and Northern California - and a whole lot more too. 

Jeb Brack, Museum Engagement Specialist

If you've been to Cincinnati Museum Center in the past few years, you've likely run into Jeb Brack. And if you ran into Jeb, you probably learned something interesting, like the history of Cincinnati's inclines, how the surface of the ground impacts rainwater runoff or how air currents interact with spherical objects. But you probably didn't learn that Jeb has been a radio host, an artist and even a magician! So sit back, hit play and get ready to meet Jeb in a bit greater detail. 

Whitney Owens, Chief Learning Officer

Answer: During the course of this Chief Learning Officer at Cincinnati Museum Center's 25-year museum career, she has traveled the world with Sue the T-rex, overseen the development of many exhibits and negotiated with Siberians for the North American display of Lyuba, the perfectly preserved baby mammoth.
 
Question: Who is Whitney Owens?
 
Settle in, because this episode is endlessly fascinating and stick around to find out why we wrote this description Jeopardy style. 

Tyler Swinney, NAGPRA Manager and Tribal Liaison

Today's guest is Tyler Swinney, CMC's NAGPRA Manager and Tribal Liaison. You may be asking, what is NAGPRA and what does a Tribal Liaison do? If so, just hit play! Plus, we'll talk about what you can find in a hundreds of years old trash pit, and what Tyler's got going on in his garden.

Celebrating 25 Years of The Children’s Museum with Tony Lawson, Senior Director of School and Teacher Partnerships

October 24, 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of Cincinnati Museum Center's Children's Museum! First opened in 1998, The Children's Museum has been the site of so much learning, fun, adventure and creativity. Now, halfway through its third decade, the museum has become a tradition passed down through generations as its earliest visitors start bringing children of their own. And who better to talk about this with than Tony Lawson, current Senior Director of School and Teacher Partnerships and former Director of The Children's Museum, who has been here at CMC since before The Children's Museum opened? We'll talk early childhood education, learning through play, Bob Ross and more.

Jill Beitz, Manager of Reference and Research

Did you know that Cincinnati Museum Center is home to the Cincinnati History Library and Archives? With collections dating back to 1831, the History Library and Archives are a treasure trove of regional history and one of the best kept secrets in Cincinnati. Today we're talking to Jill Beitz, the library's Manager of Reference and Research to see how she went from running a neighborhood library out of her garage at 6 years old to being the world's go to source for info on 1950s sea monster sightings in the Ohio River. 
If you've got a question about Cincinnati history, you can visit the Cincinnati History Library and Archives by appointment Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. For more information or research inquires, please contact library@cincymuseum.org.

Brenda Hunda, Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology & Stacey Kutish, Senior Director of Exhibit Development

Cincinnati Museum Center is celebrating the opening of a brand new permanent exhibit in the Museum of Natural History and Science! Ancient Worlds Hiding In Plain Sight lets visitors dive beneath and waves and into deep time, to a time when what is today Cincinnati was at the bottom of a shallow tropical sea, teeming with life. We talked to Dr. Brenda Hunda, CMC's Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology, and Stacey Kutish, Senior Director of Exhibit Development to find out how an exhibit like this comes together.