Catherine McCarthy's Profile

What I do, where I work
I currently work for the Science Museum of Minnesota as Project Leader for the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Network) (http://www.nisenet.org). The goal of the network is to create a national community of researchers and informal science educators dedicated to fostering public awareness, engagement, and understanding of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology.

More about me
Previously, I worked for the Sciencenter in Ithaca, NY, as Grant Projects Director managing a wide variety of grant funded exhibit projects and educational programs as well as overseeing our traveling exhibitions program (http://www.sciencenterexhibits.org). I was the project manager for the “It’s a Nano World: Smaller than a Spot on a Ladybug” (http://www.itsananoworld.org) and “Too Small to See: Zoom into Nanotechnology” (http://www.toosmalltosee.org) exhibitions and active in the NISE Network. I also had the opportunity to focus on other topics such as astronomy (http://www.sciencenter.org/exhibits/marsandstars.asp), Sagan Planet Walk (http://www.sciencenter.org/saganpw/), chemistry (http://www.sciencenter.org/chemistry/default.asp), re-use (http://www.sciencenter.org/exhibits/reinventionstation.asp), tobacco, and integrated pest management.

Outside of work, I enjoy the outdoors and am currently President of the Cayuga Nature Center (http://www.cayuganaturecenter.org).

Prior to joining the museum field, I worked for local government agencies in environmental management, solid & hazardous waste, and pollution prevention. I hold a BS from Cornell University in natural resources and environmental engineering and an MS and PhD from UC Davis in ecology, focusing on environmental policy analysis and planning.