Jay J. Ague

Acting Director,
Peabody Museum of Natural History

Professor of Geology and Geophysics

This is a dynamic period of transition here at the Peabody. We are sad to bid farewell to outgoing director Michael Donoghue, but are grateful for his visionary leadership that in just a few short years took the Peabody to new heights we could have scarcely imagined! We wish Michael all the best as he takes a one-year leave, and look forward to his return as Curator of Botany in the fall of 2009.

Our new director, Derek Briggs, Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology, begins his term in earnest in January 2009. In the meantime I am delighted to serve as Acting Director.

As Curator of Mineralogy, I am very excited to tell you about the opening of HoMES —the Hall of Minerals, Earth, and Space — made possible by the generosity of Benjamin Zucker and his family, and many others. This final gallery of HoMES features the Peabody’s unparalleled collection of minerals and, in addition, showcases beautiful gems and jewelry from the Zucker Family Collection.

Of course, we have planned many other exhibitions and activities this fall. Don’t miss the stunning wildlife photography of Frans Lanting in Jungles, on exhibit until February 22, 2009. I look forward to working with you and the entire Peabody family during the coming months, and to welcoming Director Derek Briggs next year.

One of the most pressing problems of the 21st century is the preservation of the world’s biological and cultural diversity. By virtue of our tremendous resources as part of a university with a strong commitment to environmental research, coupled with our own world-class collections, the Yale Peabody Museum is well positioned to play an important role in improving scientific literacy in this area. By enabling us to converse widely with our audience and begin building deeper relationships, the Engaging Our Communities project will help us more clearly identify the needs of our community and create new partnerships as we plan for the future.

Engaging Our Communties | Download the report here [PDF 2.1 MB]

The report offered here focuses on the results and conclusions of most interest to other cultural institutions, particularly those in a university setting. I hope that it will be useful to other institutions facing the challenges that confront the Peabody.

The Museum has been very fortunate to have been able to work with the renowned evaluation firm Randi Korn & Associates. This project would not have been possible without the assistance of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, and I am extremely grateful for their support.

Yale Peabody Museum is overseen by a Board of Curators drawn from the Yale University faculty.


Accredited Member,
American Association of Museums

Associate Member,
Association of Science-Technology Centers, Inc.

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