The Cleveland Museum of Natural History has announced the appointment of two women scientists in the field of paleoanthropology, an area that has historically been a male dominated field of study.
Two rising stars, Dr. Emma Finestone, will be the Museum’s Assistant Curator of Human Origins, and Dr. Elizabeth (Ebeth) Sawchuk, will take the post of Assistant Curator of Human Evolution.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History is world famous for its leadership in paleoanthropology, or mapping the human family tree, with past CMNH curators Donald Johanson, who discovered “Lucy,” the oldest and most complete early human ancestor ever found, and Yohannes Haile-Selassie, named one of the top 10 people who mattered in science, for his groundbreaking work in human origins.
According to CMNH, “In contrast, Dr. Finestone and Dr. Sawchuk’s research focuses on connecting human evolution and origins with current human health trends, environmental change, and our communities today. How did ancient people navigate climate change, social conflict, and land use? When did humans first definitively impact biodiversity, and how can that inform our understanding of the impact we are having on biodiversity now? With evidence-based research published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Finestone and Dr. Sawchuk are exploring these and other pressing questions.”
The appointments of these two women scientists is part of the transformational $150 million campaign to completely rebuild, under the leadership of CMNH President and CEO Sonia Winner, the museum’s facility, exhibitions, education programs and community engagement.
More information can be found here.
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