THE MUSEUM OF TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
Lubbock, TX
https://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/
2020
Aaron Pan, PhD appointed Director
We are also pleased to announce that the Museum of Texas Tech University has appointed Aaron David Pan, PhD, as its new Executive Director. Texas Tech University Provost Michael Galyean announced that Dr. Pan was chosen after a nationwide search and that he will assume his duties on May 18, 2020. He also will have a faculty appointment as associate professor. The search was guided by Senior Search Consultant Connie Rosemont of Museum Search & Reference.
Dr. Pan currently is executive director of the Don Harrington Discovery Center in Amarillo, an interactive science center and museum that he has led since 2012. Prior to his position there, he was the curator of science at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History from 2008 to 2012.
"Aaron was selected after a rigorous national search, with the endorsement of Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec," TTU Provost Michael Galyean said. "With more than 12 years in museum work, at both large and small museums, Aaron impressed us with his accomplishments, particularly his success at increasing museum visitorship and membership at the Don Harrington Center. He also has a track record of attracting significant financial support and building cooperation with community stakeholders. He expanded school-district partnerships and developed collaborative projects with area nonprofits ranging from the Amarillo Botanical Gardens to the Coffee Memorial Blood Center, the Junior League and Kid's Inc. His museum experience and his academic credentials, which include participating in international research teams and actively publishing, are an exceptional match to our goals."
Pan was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Earth Sciences at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and received his doctoral degree in geology in 2007 from Southern Methodist. He holds a bachelor's degree (biology emphasis) with high honors from the University of California Santa Barbara. In addition to his museum work, Pan is a research associate of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas in Fort Worth, where he conducts active research and publishes in paleobotany, entomology and malacology. He has served on four boards, including the Texas Association of Museums, and he chaired the Amarillo Convention and Tourism Committee of the Chamber.
"It is a distinct honor to be invited to join the prestigious and multifaceted Museum of Texas Tech, with its dedicated and distinguished staff and a farsighted university administration," Pan said. "My success is due to the relationships I have built and an amazing staff at the Discovery Center. I am eager to work with Texas Tech to lead the next chapter in the museum's life and am looking forward to relocating with my wife and family to Lubbock."
Pan will take the reins from Jill Hoffman, interim executive director, who led the museum through the transition period and will resume her role as the museum's assistant director for visitor experience when Pan arrives. "Jill will continue capably doing double duty until Pan is in place," said Senior Vice Provost Rob Stewart.
Texas Tech University is classified as "Carnegie Tier 1" in the "Very High Research Activity" category, making it one of only 94 doctoral universities in the nation to hold this prestigious recognition. TTU has more than 38,000 students and offers degree programs in 10 colleges plus the School of Law, Medical School, and the Graduate School.
Founded in 1929, the Museum of Texas Tech University is AAM-accredited and houses over 8 million objects in collections focused on 6 areas: anthropology, art, clothing and textiles, history and culture, paleontology, and the natural sciences. The museum encompasses 16 exhibition galleries, the Moody Planetarium, and the Lubbock Lake Landmark, a nearby archaeological site documenting human habitation for 12,000 years. The Museum's Natural Science Research Laboratory houses an internationally important collection of fauna and frozen tissue samples and has played a role in identifying major human health risks, such as Hanta Virus. The museum is also home to the graduate program in Heritage and Museum Science.