There’s a joke going around the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH) that a large banner with the words, “Nifty, nifty, I am turning 50” should be hung up high. The reference is to the 50th anniversary of the 1974 discovery of the 3.2-million-year-old fossil skeleton, “Lucy.” A representative of the species known as Australopithecus afarensis, Lucy was found on a dig in Ethiopia. The expedition was co-led by former CMNH curator of physical anthropology Donald Johanson.
Called one of the most significant anthropological findings of our time, Lucy was the oldest and most complete human ancestor ever found at the time. Lucy’s original fossil bones are held in the National Museum of Ethiopia, but CMNH researchers and others have studied Lucy’s fossils and bone cast here and have gathered vital information to understand our human past to our global future.
It is fitting that Lucy’s milestone anniversary coincides with the CMNH’s current $150 million transformation project.
“Culture is something you have to work at every day,” says Sonia Winner, CMNH president and CEO and the fourth woman in the museum’s history to hold the leadership roles. “The more diversity you have around decision-makers, the better it is for the culture, organization and community.”
According to National Science Foundation stats on representation in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) workforce Winner cited, 29% of STEM careers are filled by men and 18% by women. (It is noted in the 2023 report Winner is referencing that men and women represented similar proportions of the total workforce — 52% men and 48% women.) But at the CMNH, 62% of its 130 employees are women, including five curators and four in senior leadership. Also, Hunting Valley resident Sally Sears serves as the museum’s first women board chair.
The encouragement of female participation is apparent at every level. Livestreamed programs featuring CMNH scientists doing field work in Australia have been shown in the museum’s auditorium, allowing girls (and boys) a “pathway to understand potential career options in science and at the
museum,” according to Winner. Middle School Science Night, science camps and other programs and opportunities allow students the chance to see their own personal future in the sciences.
And if someone is looking for women role models, look no farther than CMNH. Winner herself is an example to young women as a community leader. She is helping to enhance University Circle with the physical transformation of the museum, as well as expand its openness to the entire Cleveland community. Under her direction, CMNH has also continued to create a nurturing and supportive environment for female researchers. Winner proudly points to two female museum staff members who recently have been in the global spotlight.
Research by CMNH Associate Curator and the Robert J. and Linnet E. Fritz Endowed Chair of Human Origins Dr. Emma Finestone of stone tools found in Kenya has brought her attention in the media and in scientific communities. Winner also recognizes Dr. Elizabeth (Ebeth) Sawchuk, associate curator of human evolution, for her work, particularly with DNA research.
“We sometimes forget that adults need a sense of wonder. And it starts with children. We are one of the few places where children — and yes, girls — are in charge,” says Winner.