Rickards selected as Noyce Fellow
{image1}The Noyce Leadership Institute just announced that Jennifer Rickards, Associate Director of the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vermont, was selected to participate in a yearlong sponsored fellowship, with the aim of increasing the public impact of science centers, museums, and related institutions. The Noyce Leadership Institute (NLI), in partnership with the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), the European Network of Science Centers and Museums (ecsite), and the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), and with funding from the Noyce Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, brings together leaders in informal science education from around the world to act as change agents at the crossroads of societal trends, global issues, and the cutting edge of science.
“The Noyce Leadership Institute is the most distinguished and highly competitive leadership program in our field, attracting the most promising science center leaders in the world,” said Montshire's Executive Director, David Goudy. “We are honored with Jennifer's selection and are confident that Montshire and the community will be the beneficiaries of her participation in this prestigious international program.”
Through their NLI Fellowship experience, 17 senior-level and chief executives from science centers, children’s museums, natural history museums, and other related institutions that focus on public engagement with science will gain access to knowledge, tools, promising practices, and professional networks that increase their capacity to lead effectively and to advance innovation in their own institutions, in their home communities, and in the broader field. These remarkable leaders were selected because they are well positioned to influence others, manage change, and make an impact on their institutions and communities. Rickards will focus on developing a community partnership model to determine how the Montshire should engage underserved families in our region and implement new strategies to do so effectively.
“The NLI Fellowship will help to prepare the next generation of leaders to extend the impact of science centers and museums deeper into their local communities and to increase understanding and excitement about science,” said Dr. Geno Schnell, NLI program director.
NLI envisions an essential and transformative role for science centers and other informal science institutions in the engagement of citizens of every age in understanding crucial science-related issues. Leaders of such innovative hubs are supported and challenged by the Noyce Leadership Institute to make the individual, organizational, and community changes required to realize this vision. From its inception in 2008 through this most recent cohort of Fellows, 105 Fellows have participated in NLI. These individuals represent 80 institutions from 25 nations.
The 2013–2014 Noyce Leadership Fellows were selected through a competitive process by a committee composed of professionals representing the fields of informal science education and executive leadership. The Fellowship program provides an action-learning framework via a mix of face-to-face sessions, executive coaching, peer learning, audio conferencing, and other learning strategies over a year, followed by ongoing Fellow alumni activities.
The Institute bears the name of Robert Noyce, co-founder of Intel and inventor of the integrated circuit. His work in leading science, engineering, and technology to a whole new level of innovation — as well as the creation of new industries — is legendary. Known for his integrity, authenticity, character, inclusiveness, and continuous innovation, Noyce’s legacy continues to serve as a standard for leaders today.