Report to the Regents

First Quarter, Fiscal Year 2012

Secretary G. Wayne Clough addresses participants at the Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Forum, 

hosted by the Smithsonian and attended by educators and education leaders from more than 70 countries. 

The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies collaborates with Microsoft Partners in 

Learning on the “Shout” global environmental education initiative.
Broadening Access: Visitation Summary

Visitors at the Smithsonian 

Institution Traveling Exhibition 

Service’s Suited for Space (at the 

Science Museum of Virginia) . . .

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

Air and Space

Natural History

American History

National Zoo

American Indian

SI Castle

Udvar-Hazy

Freer/Sackler

Reynolds Center

Hirshhorn

Ripley Center

African Art

Heye Center (NY)

Postal

Renwick

Anacostia

Cooper-Hewitt (NY)

FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012

In the first quarter of fiscal year 2012, the Smithsonian counted 

5.2 million visits to its museums and exhibition venues in Washington, 

D.C., and New York, plus the National Zoological Park and Steven F. 

Udvar-Hazy Center—down about 10 percent from the figure for the first 

quarter of fiscal year 2011. The Smithsonian also counted 24.1 million 

unique visitors to its websites. 

. . . and at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden’s 

ArtLab+ program.

Visits to Smithsonian Venues

Fiscal Years 2010, 2011, and 2012

. . . at the National Postal Museum’s new 

Systems at Work exhibition

Report to the Regents, April 2012 1
Grand Challenges Highlights 

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe

Research: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO)

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) 

Using the Kepler satellite, SAO astronomers 

and their colleagues discovered two Earth-sized 

planets (Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f)—the first 

ever confirmed—orbiting a distant star. This is a 

significant milestone in the search for Earth-like 

planets that might harbor life. 

SAO astronomers have found four extremely red 

galaxies, so distant that their light has been traveling 

towards us for over 11 billion years. Galaxies are 

red because they are dusty (a sign of star creation 

activity), because they contain many old red stars, 

or, if distant, because the expansion of the universe 

reddens their light. All three reasons seem to apply 

to these four galaxies, which were found using the 

SAO-led camera on the Spitzer Space Telescope. 

Black holes have only three intrinsic properties: 

mass, spin, and charge—although their charge 

is usually thought to be close to zero. SAO 

astronomers have, for the first time, succeeded in 

directly measuring the mass and spin of a black 

hole: the one in Cygnus known as Cygnus X-1, 

which formed as the result of a supernova. Its mass 

is 14.8 times that of the Sun, and its surface-of-noreturn (“event horizon”) for infalling matter spins 

more than 800 times per second.

Matter in the universe after the Big Bang consisted 

almost entirely of hydrogen and helium atoms. Only later, after undergoing fusion reactions in the 

nuclear furnaces of massive, short-lived stars, did these elements transform into the other, heavier 

elements of today’s cosmos and disperse to make newer stars. SAO astronomers completed a study of 

dwarf stars in our galaxy that are deficient in these heavy elements, confirming that these stars are among 

the oldest objects in the cosmos.

Two former CfA graduate students, Adam Riess and Brian Schmidt, along with another astronomer who 

worked independently of them, shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for their extraordinary discovery 

that, based on studies of supernovae at high redshift, the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Their 

thesis work at CfA addressed this topic. 

Artist’s conception of Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f, shown in 

comparison to Earth and Venus 

Red galaxies

2 Report to the Regents, April 2012
Other Research

Ending a 20-year search, Tim McCoy of the National Museum of 

Natural History and his colleagues have identified the first pyroclast 

(rock of volcanic origin) from an asteroid. The texture and composition 

of this fragment allowed the research team to conclude it was formed 

when ancient volcanoes erupted on the surface of an asteroid. 

At the International Astronautical Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, 

two curators from the National Air and Space Museum’s Division of 

Space History presented papers: Michael Neufeld (The Three Heroes 

of Spaceflight: the Rise of the Tsiolkovskii-Goddard-Oberth Interpretation

and its Current Validity and Was the Rocket ‘Invented’ or ‘Accidentally 

Discovered’? Some New Observations) and Roger Launius (Opposing Apollo: 

Political Resistance to the Moon Landings and The Strange Career of the 

Spaceplane: NASA and the Quest for Routine Human Space Operations).

Broadening Access 

The National Museum of Natural History and Smithsonian 

Astrophysical Observatory collaborated to produce The Evolving 

Universe, currently on display at the former (October 21, 2011–July 

7, 2013). This richly-illustrated exhibition explores how stars, galaxies, 

and the universe itself change as they move from birth through maturity 

to death. It will travel the nation with the Smithsonian Institution 

Traveling Exhibition Service after its run at the Smithsonian. 

In live broadcast over NASA TV from the National Air and Space 

Museum’s Moving Beyond Earth presentation center, a Space Shuttle 

astronaut team shared their experiences in the astronaut corps and 

discussed their last flight to supply the International Space Station. 

Four lectures in the NASA-sponsored “Smithsonian Stars” series, 

featuring Smithsonian researchers and experts, were held at the National 

Air and Space Museum. Topics included determining the age of stars, a 

visual tour of Mars, exploring asteroids, and Antarctic meteorites. 

Understanding the American Experience 

Research 

The National Museum of African American History and Culture completed Phase I of its Civil Rights 

History Project, a collaboration with the Library of Congress to preserve the stories of Americans 

involved with the Civil Rights movement. To date, over 50 interview sessions have been completed. 

The National Museum of the American Indian held two scholarly symposia. “Fact or Fiction? The 

United States Courts’ Use of History to Shape Native Law Jurisprudence” explored the historical 

foundations of key court decisions impacting Native Americans. At “Our Warrior Spirit: Native 

Americans in the U.S. Military,” Native veterans shared their stories of service, and noted scholar 

Herman J. Viola chronicled the history of Native soldiers from 1770 to the present.

Mind-bending images from The 

Evolving Universe

Report to the Regents, April 2012 3
The Smithsonian hosted a symposium organized 

by Shannon Perich of the National Museum of 

American History and Michelle Delaney of the 

Office of the Under Secretary for History, Art, and 

Culture on “Inventing American Photography.” 

In a related development, the Smithsonian 

Institution Scholarly Press published Perich’s book 

The Changing Face of Portrait Photography: From 

Daguerreotype to Digital. 

Echoes of Elvis: The Cultural Legacy of Elvis Presley,

edited by the National Portrait Gallery’s E. Warren 

Perry Jr., was published by the Smithsonian 

Institution Scholarly Press.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum organized “Encuentros: Artistic Exchange between the U.S. 

and Latin America,” a symposium that drew about 200 scholars. It was the third of five symposia on the 

theme of “American Art in a Global Context” supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Broadening Access

At the National Museum of American History, 

the permanent exhibition The First Ladies opened 

on November 19, 2011. It explores the unofficial 

but important position of First Lady and the ways 

in which different women have shaped the role. 

It features 26 dresses and more than 160 other 

objects associated with First Ladies, from Martha 

Washington to Michelle Obama. 

Also at the National Museum of American History,

the meticulously conserved Jefferson Bible went on 

public display in the 

exhibition Jefferson’s Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (November 

11, 2011–July 15, 2012) in the Albert H. Small Documents Gallery. 

The National Museum of the American Indian presented the exhibition A 

Song for the Horse Nation (October 29, 2011–January 7, 2013), showcasing 

122 historic objects, artworks, photographs, songs, and personal accounts 

that tell the epic story of the horse’s influence on American Indian tribes. 

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings’ American Anthology of Folk Music was 

inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It is the second recording from 

Folkways to be so-honored, joining “This Land is Your Land” by Woody 

Guthrie. The Anthology brought little-known parts of America’s musical 

landscape to the public’s attention and inspired a generation of musicians to 

explore the traditions it presented. 

The National Museum of African American History and Culture presented 

the panel discussion “America in Black and White” to address how the 

museum plans to address race-related issues. 

The ChANGING FACe

OF PORTRAIT PhOTOGRAPhY From Daguerreotype to Digital

Shannon Thomas Perich

The First Ladies

A Song for the Horse Nation

4 Report to the Regents, April 2012
The exhibition Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories (October 14, 2011–

January 22, 2012) at National Portrait Gallery featured artifacts 

and artistic works detailing the life and work of the noted American 

expatriate writer and art promoter Gertrude Stein. 

Also at the Portrait Gallery, The Black List (October 27, 2011–April 

22, 2012) offered images by photographer Timothy GreenfieldSanders of prominent African Americans. In conjunction with its 

opening, the Gallery hosted a private event attended by 500 people, 

including more than a dozen of the sitters portrayed in the exhibition.

Two permanent exhibitions opened at the National Postal Museum:

•	 Systems at Work (opened December 14, 2011) takes visitors to 

10 eras in the nation’s history, providing information about 

aspects of postal operations from each. Together, they reveal 

the evolution of the postal system over time. A companion 

virtual exhibit was created for those who are not able to visit 

the museum in person.

•	 Mail Call (opened November 10) explores how the military 

postal system works and why mail has always been so 

important to the deployed men and women of the armed 

forces. This exhibition also features a virtual exhibition 

counterpart.

The National Portrait Gallery’s David C. Ward and Frank H. 

Goodyear III collaborated with The Atlantic magazine for a special 

commemorative issue to mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. 

The issue includes images from the Gallery’s collection, articles by great 

writers of the period, and a short essay by President Barack Obama.

The Americans All initiative to explore 

immigration and migration in the United States 

includes staff from the Center for Folklife and 

Cultural Heritage, Smithsonian Latino Center, 

Asian Pacific American Program, Smithsonian 

Center for Education and Museum Studies,

and National Museum of American History.

This quarter it presented the first in a series 

of events focusing on new communities in 

the Washington, D.C., area, “Silver Spring 

Stories: A Conversation about Community and 

Immigration,” to an audience of over 160. 

The exhibition Carl Beam (October 29, 2011–

April 15, 2012) opened at the George Gustav Heye Center of the National Museum of the American 

Indian in New York City. It featured a retrospective of 41 works by Beam (Ojibwe, 1943–2005).

The Archives of American Art exhibition Words Cannot Express: Death in the Archives was on display in 

the Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery at the Reynolds Center (October 31–December 31, 2011). Through 

primary sources, it examined the intense emotions surrounding death and dying. 

Seeing Gertrude Stein

Artifacts from Systems at Work

Americans All in Silver Spring

Report to the Regents, April 2012 5
Inventing a Better 

Mousetrap: Patent Models 

from the Rothschild 

Collection (November 11, 

2011–November 3, 2013) 

opened at the Smithsonian 

American Art Museum,

featuring 32 models of 

19th-century U.S. inventions 

from the collection of 

Alan Rothschild, the 

largest private collection of 

American patent models.

‘Something of Splendor’: Decorative Arts from the White House went 

on display at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American 

Art Museum (October 1, 2011–May 6, 2012). It explores the 

decorative arts in the official residence of the President. The 

museum also produced a short film, At Home in the White House, 

in which first families offer their personal memories about living 

in America’s most famous home.

Call and Response: Community and Creativity is an ongoing 

initiative at the Anacostia Community Museum that explores 

the arts in Wards 7 and 8 of Washington, D.C. The second of 

the initiative’s exhibition series presents works by artist Steven 

Cummings and Creative Junkfood, a multi-media production 

studio (December 12, 2011–April 29, 2012). 

Valuing World Cultures 

Research 

Using new evidence, National Museum of Natural History anthropologist Melinda Zeder, has suggested 

that plant and animal domestication in the Near East occurred at about the same time, and more than 

once (in different places), for the same species. Her findings, published in Current Anthropology, raise 

questions about the 1,500-year gap previously believed to have separated the two types of domestication. 

Two volumes by National Museum of Natural History scholars of human culture were published by 

the Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press: Faces We Remember / Neqamikegkaput: Leuman M. Waugh’s 

Photography from St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, 1929–1930, edited by Igor Krupnik of the museum’s 

Arctic Studies Center and Vera Oovi Kaneshiro, and Artifacts from the Craig Mound at Spiro, Oklahoma 

(Contributions to Anthropology, No. 49), by April K. Sievert with the museum’s J. Daniel Rogers. 

The Smithsonian Institution Libraries welcomed the Middle East Librarians Association for its 2011 

annual meeting at the National Museum of Natural History. Close to 80 participants from prominent 

research and university libraries in the United States and around the world attended the meeting, which 

covered topics such as documenting the Middle East in the digital era. 

Patent models on display in Building a Better Mousetrap included an electromagnetic engine 

(l) and a paper bag machine (r)

Artifact from Something of Splendor

6 Report to the Regents, April 2012
Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Director Daniel Sheehy gave a talk on “Music Recording 

Copyright in the United States” at the first China-U.S. Forum on Intangible Cultural Heritage: 

Comparative Policies, which was held in Guangzhou, China. 

The Freer and Sackler Galleries hosted two scholarly symposia: the inaugural Lunder Consortium for 

Whistler Studies’ “Palaces of Art: Whistler and the Art Worlds of Aestheticism,” and “Imperial Exposure: 

Early Photography and Royal Portraits across Asia” (to coincide with the Sackler exhibition Power|Play: 

China’s Empress Dowager). 

The Galleries also presented a bilingual (English/Japanese) webcast about the Freer’s tea-leaf storage jar 

Chigusa, which drew over 400 participants from Japan, Australia, the United States, and elsewhere.

The African Studies Association’s Annual Meeting was held in Washington, D.C., in November 2011. 

The National Museum of African Art offered a pre-conference Museum Day with panel discussions 

and tours of the museum’s Eliot Elisofon Archives and main storage facilities. Offerings for meeting 

participants also included a tour of the exhibition Central Nigeria Unmasked and a reception. 

A catalogue for the National Museum of African Art’s exhibition Artists in Dialogue 2 was published in 

time to be stocked on its store shelves for the African Studies Association Meeting.

Broadening Access

With seven new cases of artifacts and mummies—most of which have not been 

on display at the Smithsonian—the new permanent exhibition Eternal Life in 

Ancient Egypt (opened November 17, 2011) at the National Museum of Natural 

History focuses on the insights that mummies, burial rituals, and cosmology 

provide about life in ancient Egypt. 

The Smithsonian Latino Center collaborated on this year’s National Air and 

Space Museum’s Hispanic Heritage Month Family Celebration, which featured 

presentations by NASA scientists and engineers, a “Young Latinos in STEM” 

session, and a dance party hosted by Jim Byers 

of WPFW’s “Latin Flavor.” 

The Asian Pacific American Program

presented the 11th annual South Asian 

Literary and Theater Arts Festival at the 

Baird Auditorium of the National Museum 

of National History. It was followed by a 

reception at the Indian Embassy, attended by 

Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao.

The Anacostia Community Museum’s first 

traveling exhibition, Word Shout Song: Lorenzo 

Dow Turner Connecting Communities through 

Language, went on display at South Carolina 

State University’s I.P. Stanback Museum in 

Orangeburg. It was on view at the museum in 2010–11 and, due to 

intense interest was reformatted as a touring exhibition. 

Two permanent exhibits went on display at the Freer Gallery of Art

on November 5, 2011: Cranes and Clouds: The Korean Art of Ceramic 

Inlay and Silk Road Luxuries from China.

Eternal Life in 

Ancient Egypt

At the Indian Embassy: Under 

Secretary Richard Kurin, Asian Pacific 

American Program Director Konrad 

Ng, Ambassador Nirupama Rao

Report to the Regents, April 2012 7
Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet

Research: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 

(SERC)

SERC scientists published 12 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 

including the high-impact journals Nature and BioScience.

SERC biologists have discovered how U.S. efforts to keep out 

invasive species are falling short. In the most comprehensive study 

to date, SERC’s Whitman Miller looked at more than 100,000 

international ships docked in U.S. ports and loaded with ballast 

water that may harbor microscopic invasive species. He found 

cargo ships dump millions of tons of ballast water in port every 

year that have not been properly treated for invasive species. This 

highlights the urgent need for new technologies for onboard 

treatment of ballast water. 

Climate change is drawing invasive species like the green porcelain 

crab north, where they can wreak havoc on local ecosystems, a 

phenomenon known as “Caribbean Creep.” However, in a study 

published in PLoS ONE, SERC’s João Canning-Clode gathered 

evidence that unusually harsh winters could stop this advance. He 

conducted an experiment in which three groups of green porcelain 

crabs were subjected to differing temperature treatments, and found 

that even relatively short exposure to abnormally cold conditions 

killed off large numbers of the crabs. This suggests that while 

climate change can help invasive species spread, abnormal weather may work in the opposite direction.

In a study published in the Journal of Biogeography, SERC biologist April Blakeslee found evidence for 

the “parasite escape hypothesis” of invasive species. She examined two snail species and confirmed that 

invading new territory helped them escape a parasitic flatworm in their original habitat. 

Research: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) 

In this quarter, 60 publications were added to the STRI bibliography. 

Among these was the Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press volume 

Ecology of the Podocarpaceae in Tropical Forests (Contributions to Botany, 

No. 95), edited Benjamin L. Turner of STRI and Lucas A. Cernusak. 

The discovery and observation of two new, related bee species—one 

from Panama’s Coiba Island and another from northern Colombia—by 

STRI’s David Roubik and his colleagues have shed new light on the 

origins of the Isthmus of Panama. Traditionally, geologists believed 

the Isthmus arose about 3 million years ago. Evidence that bees closely 

related to South American species were established in Central America 

around 17 million years ago, however, supports other evidence that the 

connection between the continents is much older. 

. . . but unusually cold winters may help to 

limit the northern expansion of invaders.

SERC scientists have discovered that much 

ballast water released in U.S. ports has not 

been treated for invasive species . . .

STRI entomologist David Roubik

8 Report to the Regents, April 2012
STRI scientists S. Joseph Wright and Ben Turner braved ticks 

and tigers to discover how human activities have affected the 

nitrogen cycle at two remote Smithsonian Institution Global Earth 

Observatory (SIGEO) sites in Panama and Thailand, examining 

changes over time in leaf nitrogen concentrations and the ratio of 

heavy to light nitrogen isotopes. Nitrogen deposition may change the 

composition of tropical forests, and understanding it is important to 

understanding the effects of global change.

As part of their research on how miniaturization affects brain size 

and behavior, William Wcislo and William Eberhard of STRI 

measured the central nervous systems of nine species of spiders of 

vastly different sizes—the largest weighed about 400,000 times more 

than the smallest. They discovered that the brains of tiny spiders are 

so large that they fill their body cavities and overflow into their legs. 

These results were reported widely in the media, including in the New 

York Times Science section.

International research is crucial to the management of sea turtles that 

need both coastal and offshore habitats. In December 2011, STRI 

convened a Regional Symposium on South Eastern Pacific Sea Turtles, 

featuring 26 speakers from countries along the Pacific coast from the 

United States to Peru. The 120 participants exchanged information about turtle conservation.

Research: National Museum of Natural History (NMNH)

In an article in Science, NMNH paleobiologist Douglas Erwin and his colleagues cast new light on the 

evolution of complex animals. Their results expose a 200-million-year gap between molecular evidence 

of the evolution of such animals and their first appearance in the fossil record during the Cambrian 

explosion, and they attempt to explain this lag. By synthesizing data from the fossil record with molecular 

data, this study demonstrates that to understand early animal evolution, an understanding of the 

expansion of ecological networks through deep time is needed. 

NMNH’s Richard Vari and his collaborators published the first in-depth analysis of the neotropical 

freshwater fish family Characidae, the third-largest family of fish in the world. Their work has resulted in 

dramatic revision of previous concepts, including the recognition of multiple 

families rather than one. 

Working with a team of investigators, NMNH’s Kevin de Queiroz sequenced 

the genome of green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis) and compared it with 

genomes of birds and mammals. It is the first genome from the large group 

of lepidosaurian reptiles (lizards and relatives) to be sequenced. The results, 

published in Nature, provide insights into genome evolution in vertebrates. 

Nick Pyenson of NMNH’s Paleobiology Department conducted a 

comprehensive analysis of dead stranded whales. By comparing stranding 

and sighting records, he found that the former reflects the same patterns 

of diversity found in the latter, and that including stranding information 

provides a better picture of the cetacean diversity than can be obtained from 

a live survey alone. 

STRI scientists found an inverse 

relationship between body size and 

relative brain size in spiders

Skeleton of a stranded 

whale

Report to the Regents, April 2012 9
Research: National Zoological Park (NZP) 

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI)

Research conducted by Earlham College’s Heather Lerner when she 

was a SCBI postdoctoral researcher has helped to illuminate the family 

tree for one of the world’s most diverse and endangered bird families, 

the Hawaiian honeycreepers. Using next-generation DNA sequencing 

methods, Lerner and her collaborators determined the types of finches 

from which the honeycreepers evolved, and linked the timing of that 

evolution to the formation of the four main Hawaiian Islands.

Nearly 20 years after SCBI became the first to produce an Eld’s deer 

fawn through artificial insemination, SCBI scientists have contributed 

to the birth of the first Eld’s deer through in vitro fertilization, which 

occured at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand. SCBI has a long 

history of training researchers and veterinarians working with Eld’s deer 

and developing innovations to conserve the species, which is considered 

endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

Coral reefs are disappearing because of pollution, climate change, 

acidification, and destructive fishing practices, threatening the first 

extinction of a worldwide ecosystem since prehistoric times. Using a 

technique applied by SCBI scientists in the Caribbean and Hawaii, 

researchers from SCBI and partnering organizations spent two weeks 

collecting sperm and embryonic cells to create the first frozen repository 

of Great Barrier Reef corals. The samples remain alive but in stasis in 

long-term storage, and future scientists will be able, if necessary, to thaw 

and use them to restore a species or diversify a population. 

Other Research

The Biodiversity Heritage Library, a collaborative initiative headquartered at the Smithsonian Institution 

Libraries that provides the digital literature component of the Encyclopedia of Life, hosted “Life and 

Literature,” a two-day conference for biodiversity literature stakeholders. The conference was held at the 

Field Museum in Chicago. 

Broadening Access 

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute published a 44-page 

educational booklet in Spanish, Nuestra Casa en el Universo, to inform 

indigenous groups about climate change and Reduced Emissions from 

Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) proposals to combat it. 

Black-footed ferret keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology 

Institute in Front Royal revealed the name chosen by over 1,000 

people who voted on Smithsonian magazine’s website for the new star 

of the National Zoo’s black-footed ferret webcam: Rosebud. The young 

Rosebud will remain in captivity for possible breeding, and on view via 

webcam for devoted ferret fans. 

Eld’s deer

Endangered coral

Rosebud the black-footed ferret

10 Report to the Regents, April 2012
Crossing Boundaries 

Research 

A fully illustrated catalogue was published 

to accompany the Cooper-Hewitt, 

National Design Museum exhibition 

Design with the Other 90%: Cities. The 

catalogue features essays by and interviews 

with experts on socially responsible design, 

as well as profiles of the innovations covered 

in the exhibition. 

The Museum Conservation Institute 

worked on over 60 projects with 23 

Smithsonian units and with external organizations, including government 

agencies, conservation groups, universities, and foreign agencies. Among the 

Institute’s research highlights were the following: 

•	 Institute researchers published results from two projects that used 

proteomics methods to study proteins in wool. In one, the Institute’s 

Mehdi Moini and his student Naoko Araki studied how rates of 

change in amino acid residues might be used as a short-term (less than 

400 years) dating technique for wool objects. The other looked at the 

textiles of the Coast Salish Indian tribe, finding evidence to support 

oral traditions and historic accounts that suggest special dogs were once 

bred for their wool.

•	 Edward Vicenzi, Melvin Wachowiak, and Elizabeth Keats Webb are 

working with historians, research scientists, and conservators from 

other Smithsonian units and external organizations to develop new 

insights on daguerreotypes, the first successful photographic technique. 

The Archives of American Art partnered with the Getty Research Institute on the symposium “Artists 

and Archives,” at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. Featuring noted cultural theorists, art historians, and 

artists, the symposium considered how primary sources can not only document works of art, but also 

become works of art in their own right.

Broadening Access 

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden presented Directions: Empire3 (November 10, 2011–

March 25, 2012), an exhibition that examined the ongoing influence of Andy Warhol’s groundbreaking 

film Empire (1964), and Black Box: Ali Kazma (December 19, 2011–May 13, 2012), the latest 

installation in the museum’s ongoing Black Box new media exhibition series.

Cooper-Hewitt’s National Design Week (October 15–October 23, 2011) series is now in its sixth 

year. Highlights of the 2011 program included three sold-out sessions of the Target Design Kids family 

program; a Teen Design Fair; a panel on the state of contemporary design; a “Business of Design” 

breakfast with corporate leaders; and the 2011 National Design Awards gala. 

MCI staff are seeking 

new insights into early 

photography

Report to the Regents, April 2012 11
Cooper-Hewitt’s 2007 exhibition Design for the 

Other 90% has been developed into an ongoing 

series. Design with the Other 90%: Cities, the 

second exhibition in this series (October 15, 

2011–January 9, 2012), focused on design 

solutions to the challenges created by rapid urban 

growth. It was on display at the United Nations 

headquarters in New York City, an ideal place to 

connect with stakeholders. A variety of media and 

social media initiatives were launched to support 

the exhibition, including an interactive blog, a 

campaign of daily Tweets and Facebook posts, 

an online database of socially responsible design 

projects, and a four-part series produced by the Smithsonian Channel.

The National Air and Space Museum hosted “Moving Beyond Earth: Innovations in Space,” an event 

cosponsored by the Lemelson Center of the National Museum of American History. The program 

included a screening of the film Orphans of Apollo and a discussion with its director, a full-day public 

symposium, presentations on living in space and the future of spaceflight, and family programs.

As part of the Director’s Discussion Series, National Museum of African Art Director Johnnetta Betsch 

Cole discussed issues of race and the future of museums with acclaimed Princeton University philosopher 

Kwame Anthony Appiah. 

Three staff of the Smithsonian Institution Archives received professional honors: Pamela Henson 

received the History of Science Society Joseph H. Hazen Education Prize, awarded annually in 

recognition of outstanding contributions to the teaching of the history of science; Nora Lockshin was 

awarded Professional Associate status in the American Institute for Conservation; and Effie Kapsalis was 

awarded the Smithsonian Secretary’s Innovative Spirit Award. 

Cooper-Hewitt Director Bill Moggridge made a presentation on “Convergence and Complexity in 

Design” at a session at the World Knowledge Forum 2011 in Seoul, Korea. 

Strengthening Collections

The Hirshhorn acquired a significant and beautiful piece, 

Cube Light (2008), by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. In addition to 

his fame as an artist, Ai has become a major public figure as a 

result of his work as artistic consultant on the Beijing National 

Stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and his outspoken 

social and political activism. 

The National Postal Museum acquired (on long-term deposit 

from the U.S. Postal Service) the Postmaster General’s 

Collection, which consists of a stamp collection containing rare 

and unique items dating back to the mid-19th century and a 

collection of stamp art commissioned by the Postal Service. The 

collection is believed to contain more than 100,000 items.

Design with the Other 90% at the United Nations

Cube Light by Ai Weiwei

12 Report to the Regents, April 2012
The collections of National Museum of African American 

History and Culture continue to grow with the addition 

of a variety of powerful artifacts. Acquisitions this quarter 

included two gifts from legendary rock ’n’ roll pioneer 

Chuck Berry: a 1973 Cadillac Eldorado (driven during 

the filming of Hail! Hail! Rock ’n’ Roll, a documentary 

on the singer-songwriter-guitarist) and a Gibson ES-350 

guitar named “Maybellene.” Other acquisitions included 

handwritten lyrics by Sly Stone of Sly and the Family 

Stone; the waitress costume worn in “Monster’s Ball” by Halle Berry, the first African American woman 

to receive the Academy Award for Best Actress; an original life cast of pianist Eubie Blake’s hand; and a 

dress worn by Lena Horne in the film Stormy Weather.

Broadening Access: Education and Outreach

The Smithsonian hosted the annual Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Forum, a week-long program 

of workshops, networking events, awards, and presentations attended by more than 700 educators, 

education leaders, and government officials from more than 70 countries. At the event, Microsoft 

Partners in Learning announced the continuation of its partnership with the Smithsonian Center for 

Education and Museum Studies on the “Shout” global environmental education initiative. 

The National Science Resources Center (NSRC) remained active in 

promoting reform in the teaching of science.

•	 The NSRC published four research-based, inquirycentered instructional units in its Science and 

Technology Concepts (STC) series for secondaryschool teachers and students: Exploring the Nature of 

Light, Exploring Respiration and Circulation, 

Investigating Digestion and Motion, and

Researching Optical Systems.

Chuck Berry Cadillac

•	 INNOVEC—an NSRC 

partner organization in 

Mexico—held its sixth 

international conference on 

improving science education. 

NSRC’s Sally Goetz Shuler 

delivered a keynote address 

on implementing inquirybased science education at the 

elementary level. 

•	 NSRC kicked off year two of 

its Department of Education 

Investing in Education grant 

by distributing 746 Science and Technology Concepts kits to teachers in 65 schools in Texas, New 

Mexico, and North Carolina, and adding nine middle schools to the project.

Report to the Regents, April 2012 13
Smithsonian Affiliations offers museums and other cultural and educational organizations access to the 

Institution’s collections and other resources. At the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2012, there were 

170 Affiliates in 40 states, Panama, and Puerto Rico, and 1,252 Smithsonian artifacts were on view at 

Affiliates. In this quarter:

•	 The Smithsonian welcomed one new Affiliate: The Mexican Museum (San Francisco, California). 

•	 Fifteen Smithsonian staff participated in programs and events with Affiliates.

•	 Seven Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service shows traveled to Affiliates.

The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum 

Studies (SCEMS) manages the Smithsonian content area 

on ePals—the world’s largest social learning network, with 

700,000 teacher and school members worldwide. This quarter, 

SCEMS coordinated an ePals “Invention Challenge” with 

the Lemelson Center of the National Museum of American 

History, in which students were challenged to invent a new 

product to make their daily life more fun, efficient, or easy. 

In this quarter, SCEMS also offered its annual Smithsonian 

Teachers’ Night, hosted this year by the National Museum of 

the American Indian and attended by approximately 2,000 

educators from over 20 states. In addition to Smithsonian 

units, exhibitors included the U.S. Department of Education, 

National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Math Alive!, and ePals. 

The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) continued to sustain a high level of 

outreach activity. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2012, SITES circulated 46 exhibitions to 80 venues in 

32 states and the District of Columbia, where they were viewed by approximately 1 million visitors. 

Although SITES did not launch any new exhibitions this quarter, it finalized an agreement with Historic 

New England to sponsor a regional tour of the exhibition The Way We Worked starting in 2014, which 

will bring it to venues in all six New England states. This popular exhibition, which began statewide tours 

across Idaho and Missouri this quarter, is offered through SITES’s Museum on Main Street program.

The National Air and Space Museum presented a live online 

conference on “Conspiracy Theories in Aerospace History: A 

Lesson in Critical Thinking for the Internet Age” for a global 

audience of secondary school teachers and students. It covered 

four topics clouded by conspiracy theories: the disappearance 

of Amelia Earhart, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 

UFOs, and the Apollo moon landing. Approximately 6,000 

viewers from at least 41 states and 58 countries participated. 

The National Air and Space Museum also hosted its 7th 

annual “Air and Scare” family event at the Udvar-Hazy 

Center, featuring “trick or treating” inside the Center and fun 

educational activities all around. Despite terrible weather, the 

Center hosted more than 20,000 visitors for the day. 

The Publications Office of the National Museum of the 

American Indian released the innovative children’s book, 

Claims of “faked” moon landings were among 

the tall tales examined in the online conference 

“Conspiracy Theories in Aerospace History.”

Participants at SCEMS Teachers Night

14 Report to the Regents, April 2012
Where We Live: A Puzzle Book of American Indian Art. The 

book was produced as a part of the educational material 

development for the museum’s New ImagiNations Activity 

Center.

The Smithsonian Associates’ Discovery Theater has 

partnered with the National Air and Space Museum’s Hilton 

Early Childhood Initiative to commission a new show and 

hands-on workshop series, “Amelia and Her Big Red Plane.” 

The first installment of the series was an original puppet show 

for families and school groups, which told the story of how 

Amelia Earhart became the beloved first lady of American 

flight. Hands-on workshops based on the show followed. 

National Museum of African American History and Culture 

Director Lonnie Bunch gave a crew from C-SPAN’s American History TV a tour of the museum’s storage 

facility for a segment of the program American Artifacts. The half-hour program has subsequently aired 

more than a dozen times.

Organizational Excellence

The Smithsonian Institution was named one of the 10 best places to work in the Federal government by 

the non-profit Partnership for Public Service. This is the second year the Smithsonian participated in the 

survey; it was ranked fourth, the same ranking as last year. 

A pan-institutional planning committee comprised of representatives from 20 units, including museums, 

cultural programs, the National Zoo, and Smithsonian Enterprises, produced a framework and vision 

for the Smithsonian in the areas of Latino history, art, culture, and related topics. The plan, “Enhancing 

Understanding of the U.S. Latino Experience,” calls for the Smithsonian to build on current initiatives 

and expand the Institution’s efforts in relevant areas of research, collections acquisitions, exhibitions, 

education, collaborations, and audience engagement.

Leadership

Former Secretary of the Smithsonian Ira Michael Heyman died in Berkeley, 

California, on November 19, 2011, at the age of 81. He served as Secretary 

from 1994 until 2000. A highlight of Secretary Heyman’s tenure was the 

150th anniversary celebration of the Smithsonian, which included the popular 

exhibition America’s Treasures that traveled around the nation for more than a 

year and a huge celebration on the National Mall. Heyman also saw the potential 

for technology to expand the Smithsonian’s reach, overseeing the creation of 

the Smithsonian’s first website, www.si.edu. He initiated the Smithsonian 

Affiliations program to foster outreach, and established the Smithsonian Latino 

Center and Asian Pacific American Program to help make the Smithsonian 

more diverse.

Report to the Regents, April 2012 15
Information Technology

The Digitization Program Office is working on a 

Smithsonian 3D Charter Collection. Units were 

asked to nominate iconic collection items and 

signature research projects for inclusion in a roster 

of 3D imaging efforts that represent the breadth 

of Smithsonian collections and scientific inquiry. 

Fifteen projects from 12 units have been identified; 

captures to date include the Gunboat Philadelphia

at the National Museum of American History,

the Wright Flyer at the National Air and Space 

Museum, the Cosmological Buddha at the Freer 

and Sackler Galleries, and the fossil whale site 

Cerro Ballena in Chile (a National Museum of 

Natural History research site). 

The Archives of American Art launched an account 

on the online photo-sharing platform Pinterest. It 

shared more than 400 images from its collections 

to encourage the public to explore and “pin” 

captivating images from the Archives’ website.

The American Computer Museum awarded its 

2011 Edward O. Wilson Biotechnology Pioneer 

Award to the creators of Leafsnap, the first mobile app for plant identification. Among the honorees was 

National Museum of Natural History botanist and Biodiversity Consortium head John Kress.

A partnership of eight organizations including the Smithsonian announced the release of the DMP (Data 

Management Plan) Tool, which offers web-based support for researchers creating data management plans 

for funders such as the National Science Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and 

private foundations. It will help Smithsonian researchers craft data management plans that meet funders’ 

expectations, and lay the foundation for making research data safe, discoverable, and usable by others. 

A security assessment, resulting in formal security accreditation, was conducted for the first time for the 

Building Automation Systems supporting Mall facilities and the National Zoo. The Building Automation 

Systems are critical infrastructure control systems that manage air circulation, temperature, and humidity 

controls to protect collections, as well as the comfort of visitors and employees. 

Major Construction, Renovation, and Facilities Projects

National Museum of African American History and Culture

$500 million total estimated project cost

All design and construction milestones were met in 2011, and a construction management firm assisted 

with the coordination of design and construction issues for the February 2012 groundbreaking. The 

museum continues the concept phase of exhibit design with Ralph Appelbaum Associates. Total project 

costs are to be shared evenly, with $250 million from Federal capital funds and $250 million from nonFederal sources.

3D capture at the National Air and Space Museum . . .

. . . and at a National Museum of Natural History research site 

in Chile 

16 Report to the Regents, April 2012
National Zoological Park, General Services Building and North Road Retaining Wall

$33.8 million total estimated project cost

The $8.3 million Phase I of the project, funded over fiscal years 2004–2011, is complete. It includes 

immediate repairs to the General Services Building (GSB), design of permanent structural and safety 

upgrades, and relocation of the Vehicle Maintenance Branch to Suitland, Maryland. Phase II includes 

$25.5 million for GSB construction and replacement of an adjacent retaining wall. A supplemental 

environmental assessment for the retaining wall began in May 2011 and was completed in March 2012. 

Federal funding has been requested for fiscal years 2012–2014 for construction of the retaining wall and 

GSB upgrades .

National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, 

Smithsonian-Mason Global Conservation Studies Partnership

$37.47 million total estimated project cost

Construction of the joint Smithsonian-Mason program facilities is well under way in Front Royal, 

Virginia. George Mason University is building residential and dining facilities funded through a 

$20 million state bond, while the Smithsonian is renovating and expanding an existing building to house 

classrooms, laboratories, and faculty offices for a new education center. A single construction contract 

for the education center and concurrent utility upgrades was awarded in May 2011, and work was 

approximately 50 percent complete at the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2012. The total cost of 

this work is $15.6 million—$10.6 million in Federal funds in fiscal years 2010–2012, and $5 million in 

private funds. All facilities are projected to be complete for the start of the fall 2012 semester.

National Zoological Park, Asia Trail II: Elephant Trails

$54.3 million estimated total project and program cost

The second phase of the Asia Trail project has a current budget 

of $54.3 million—$39.48 million Federal (received in fiscal 

years 2006–2012) and $14.82 million Trust. Construction of 

the new elephant barn and two of three outdoor habitats was 

completed in 2010, and work on the elephant community 

center was 53 percent complete as of the end of calendar year 

2011. Additional private funding is being sought for the final 

habitat, and the project is now scheduled to be finished in 

2013.

National Zoological Park, Seal / Sea Lion Exhibit—The American Trail

$40.6 million total estimated project cost

The Zoo’s Seal/Sea Lion exhibit is being revitalized to meet standards for animal care and to improve 

accessibility. The project also includes an upgrade of underground utilities in what was formerly called 

Beaver Valley. Construction is approximately 80 percent complete and is projected to be finished in midJune 2012. Upon reopening this summer, the Zoo is renaming the valley area “The American Trail.” The 

non-capital, interpretive component of the project will be funded with more than $1 million in Trust 

funds, while the Federal capital contribution is approximately $39.6 million in fiscal years 2009–2012.

Report to the Regents, April 2012 17
Arts and Industries Building (AIB)

$52.8 million estimated cost for shell only

Construction on the AIB shell revitalization project (structural upgrades and replacement of the roof and 

windows) was 30 percent complete at the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2012, and is expected to be 

finished by spring 2013. Major portions of the old roof have been removed, and new steel framing that 

replicates the appearance of the original iron trusses is being installed in the halls. Project funding consists 

of $30 million from the Federal Legacy Fund, $15 million from Federal facilities capital funds, and the 

rest from private gifts. Design scope and budget definition are under way for an adjoining underground 

services building shared with the Castle. Anticipated reductions in Federal appropriations, however, have 

pushed the funding for its construction into fiscal year 2014 or beyond.

National Postal Museum, New Program Space

$18.2 million total estimated project cost

The National Postal Museum, located in the historic Washington, D.C., City Post Office Building, 

has been given 12,000 square feet of space and use of a central hall by the U.S. Postal Service. Using 

funds from non-Federal sources, this new space will be transformed into a philatelic center and a visitor 

orientation space. Design was completed in late summer 2011, with construction to start in 2012 and to 

be completed for a 2013 opening.

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa Laboratory Facilities

$23.4 million total estimated project cost

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute is building a new terrestrial science lab on its recently 

acquired Gamboa site to replace outdated facilities; the project is funded with $19.94 million in 

Federal and $3.46 million in Trust funds. At the end of the fiscal year, the notice to proceed with the 

construction contract was expected in early 2012, with completion in 2014.

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Mathias Replacement Laboratory Project

$50.66 million total estimated project cost

The Smithsonian Environmental Research 

Center is eliminating trailers that house 

lab space and offices; renovating and 

reconfiguring the Mathias Lab; and creating 

replacement labs that meet national 

standards. The 95,000-square-foot project 

employs sustainable technologies and 

building materials that will yield substantial 

reductions in energy and maintenance 

costs. Following a groundbreaking 

ceremony in May 2011, construction 

began in June 2011 and is expected to be 

complete by mid-2014.

18 Report to the Regents, April 2012
National Museum of Natural History, Main Building Ground Floor and Mezzanine

$24.0 million total project cost

The entire north ground floor of the main Natural History Building is under renovation. The 

15,500-square-foot west end of the floor will become a new education center, and the 27,600-squarefoot east end will house an expanded Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, renovated Smithsonian 

Institution Libraries facilities, a paleobiology laboratory, and a consolidated facility support operations 

center. The project was awarded for construction in December 2010, with completion planned for mid2012.

National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center

Revitalization of west wing public spaces, package III: $71.9 million total project cost

The third phase of renovation at the National Museum of American History will focus on three west 

wing public spaces and the replacement of windows. Construction documents have been completed, with 

the solicitation for construction delayed six months until March 2012 due to a readjustment of fiscal year 

2013 Federal funding. Construction will begin in fall 2012. The Federal appropriation for design and 

initial construction ($24.5 million) was received in fiscal years 2009–2012, with the remainder 

($40.8 million) requested for fiscal years 2013 and 2014. An additional $6.6 million is expected in 

private funding for exhibit space preparation and equipment.

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

$59.9 million total estimated project cost

The renovation of the Fox-Miller townhouses was completed in summer 2011. Design for the Carnegie 

Mansion renovation was completed in April 2011, with a construction contract awarded near the end 

of fiscal year 2011. The contractor started demolition in March 2012, with construction scheduled to 

be complete by early 2014. Total project costs include $27.3 million in Federal funds and $32.6 million 

in private funds. Cooper-Hewitt hosted a celebration event to mark the opening of the Miller/Fox 

townhouses and the successful completion of its capital campaign.

Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture

$19.5 million total estimated project cost

The Smithsonian will complete the renovation of the Reynolds Center with the reconstruction of the F 

Street stairs and the addition of landscaping and security. Costs are estimated at $9.5 million in Federal 

funds and $10.0 million in Trust funds.

Museum Support Center of the National Museum of Natural History, Pod 3

$38.5 million total estimated project cost

Renovations have been completed on Pod 3 in Suitland, Maryland, which provides consolidated storage 

space for several types of collections. Transfer of collections from four museums is under way and is 

expected to be complete by June 2012 at a cost of almost $2 million.

Report to the Regents, April 2012 19
Permanent Physical Security Barriers

$55 million total project cost

Security barriers at the National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History, and 

National Museum of Natural History are now in place, with construction on the latter completed at the 

end of 2011. Design of barriers for the Castle and Quadrangle will start in fiscal year 2016, and work on 

off-Mall barriers will follow in order of priority.

Sustainability

Energy Savings Projects: Energy service companies (ESCOs) offer a unique way to implement energy 

conservation measures. ESCOs assume the front-end costs of conservation infrastructure, and receive 

their compensation out of clients’ operational savings over time. In an era of tight budgets, this provides 

an effective way for the Smithsonian to meet its sustainability goals without large capital expenditures. 

An ESCO was selected to develop a comprehensive energy-saving plan for the Smithsonian’s Suitland, 

Maryland, site, and is currently engaged in preliminary assessment. The assessment will concentrate 

on energy and water savings; the goals of the project are to reduce water and conventional energy use, 

increase renewable energy use, and revitalize facilities.

Alternative Fuels: The Smithsonian fleet has expanded 

its alternative fuels infrastructure by completing the 

installation of two electric vehicle charging stations, each 

of which can charge two vehicles simultaneously. Each 

station is networked and centrally monitored to manage 

vehicle data and electricity consumed. Once connected, 

each electric vehicle requires approximately five hours 

to fully charge. A compressed natural gas vehicle filling 

station capable of fueling three vehicles per hour also has 

been installed in the new central fleet maintenance facility. 

Natural gas offers a cleaner alternative to petroleum-based 

fuel and is an integral part of the Smithsonian’s petroleum reduction initiatives. 

Recycled Materials: In fiscal year 2011 the Smithsonian exceeded recycling expectations, with an average 

waste recycling rate of 25.4 percent—a huge improvement over the fiscal year 2010 figure of 17.6 percent 

and far above the Smithsonian’s goal of 15 percent. All categories of recycling were up, but gains were 

particularly impressive for paper, comingled containers, scrap metal, and wood pallets. Composting is 

expected to be another area for potential gains within the next few years.

20 Report to the Regents, April 2012
Prepared by 

Office of Policy and Analysis