Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D., joined the staff of the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon in 2008 and has served as its executive director since 2014. Raised in Oregon, she earned her doctorate from University of Colorado Boulder in biological anthropology, conducting research that took her to Madagascar, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and China.
During that time, Dana became inspired by the work museums do to energize and engage visitors with the learning and discovery of academia. She joined the CU Boulder Museum of Natural History’s Science Squad, teaching science programs in K-12 classrooms across the Denver metro area. Upon earning her doctorate, she brought her passion to the High Desert Museum, which provides visitors close-up experiences with art, cultures, wildlife and history to share critical stories about the High Desert region.
Under Dana’s leadership, the High Desert Museum has become a Smithsonian Affiliate, has experienced record attendance and earned the prestigious 2021 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The Museum also received the 2019 Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence. Dana serves on the boards of the Western Museums Association, the state Cultural Advocacy Coalition, Visit Central Oregon and Art in Public Places. She lives in Bend with her husband and sons, and in their free time they ski, bike and run together.
In this Bend Don’t Break podcast, we chat about her research experience, her vision for the High Desert Museum and more.
Listen now:
This article appears in Source Weekly March 9, 2023.
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