Our mission remains a guiding principle of the efforts of our Board of Trustees, volunteers, and professional staff. The Museum is a non-profit charitable corporation designated by Congress as the official nuclear museum resource for our nation. This is accomplished through presentations of exhibitions and quality educational programs conveying the diversity of individuals and events that shape the historical and technical context of our world.
Seeing inside the tiny atom has changed the world and created the compelling history and the fascinating science of how humans have harnessed that knowledge. This first annual report captures some of the forward movement of the Museum and conveys the important work done by the Museum as America’s museum resource for nuclear science and history.
The Museum is in motion with its many programs and opportunities for learning as it grows and adds to its collection and programs. From exhibits that inform about atomic culture to the inner workings of a nuclear reactor, to programs that demonstrate the properties of nano materials, the Museum is charging forward to bring relevant and important information to people of all ages and life experiences.
Founded in 1969, the Museum opened a new state-of-art facility in 2009. As the only national Museum in New Mexico, the largest of its type in the world, and through its affiliation with Smithsonian Institutions, the Museum reaches thousands of students, teachers, parents, professionals and general public visitors each year.
A number of milestones were reached in the 2010-2011 fiscal year, all of which were due to the generosity of individuals and organizations that provided vital support. Most significantly, we were able to complete the landscaping beautification effort, host the largest and most successful Einstein Society Gala ever, and put our radioactive waste transportation exhibit, containing the TruPact II container, on display. Our visitation numbers remained high at almost 47,000 visitors and our membership program grew to 1,298 members by year’s end.
Our success is due to the many members, volunteers, and professional staff of our institution who share the excitement about nuclear science and history. The Museum also celebrates the many partnerships that have been formed and the remarkable corporate, foundation, and individual donors who have helped move us to achieving our goals in 2010-2011.
President Dick Peebles
Director Jim Walther
President - Dick Peebles
Vice President - John Stichman
Secretary - Judith Mead
Treasurer - Kimberly E.S. Meagher
Past President - Chuck Loeber
Senator Pete V. Domenici (Ret.)
Dr. Murray Gell-Mann Richard Rhodes
Matthew Griffin
Dr. L. Wayne Brasure
James K. Walther, Museum Director
In Memoriam
Pat Marx
Gerry Taylor Earl Norris
Robert Chavez
Dr. Dorothy Davidson
Jim Ferland
Maureen Gannon
Dr. Damon Giovanielli
Pamela Horning
Suzanne Meyer
Cavanaugh Mims
Paul Miskimin
Richard Perry
Jody Redeker Alison Schuler John Shaw Pam Sullivan
Jerry Adams
Hal Behl
Dr. Robert Busch
Trustee Emeritus, cont.
Joel Carlson Dan Hardin
Doug Moody Greg Morrison Harry Mumma Harold Rarrick Lyle Talbot Warner Talso
Brig. Gen. (Ret.) H. Tom Taylor Dr. Ruth Weiner
Staff
Molly Brunell
Lily Chavez Melissa Donahoo
Sarah Fair
Sandy Fye
Jennifer Hayden
David Hoover
Lynn Jones Malva Knoll Melanie LaBorwit Eric Loftus
Charles W. Lowery II Seth McFarland Barbara Miller
Jeanette Miller
Chase Palmer Michael Rodriguez Sasha Sanchez Nadine Scala
Elena Seaberg
Beunka Sinclair
Emmalyn Smith Greg Shuman
Dennis Verstynen
Jim Walther
The Museum’s Education activities are broad-based, from family events to professional development for educators. Thousands of K-12 students learn the fundamentals of the physical sciences at the Museum each year, challenging the Museum to provide relevant and engaging activities for all ages on a continuous basis.
Making Stuff, a NOVA program on PBS in January, provided the perfect platform for explaining materials science concepts. Museum teachers showed 214 visitors how nano applications are evident in the world around us. Emphasis was placed on scientists who manipulate and change materials based on the tiny scale of atoms. The Museum also provided a workshop for educators on this topic. Our community partners for this event were the University of New Mexico Nano Science & Microsystems Interdisciplinary Program and the Center for Integrated Nano Technology (CINT).
“I think my child was exposed to activities and knowledge which ‘awakened’ a true enjoyment of science and learning.”
ZOOM Into Engineering & Science is an annual event that invites families, students, and Boy Scouts to participate in handson learning. Engineers and scientists from across the city help children experience activities that spark interest in the fields of science and engineering. With the assistance of a large number of community partners and sponsors, the Museum welcomed 353 guests for Zoom in February 2011.
The Museum, The Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Sandia National Laboratories Asian Leadership Outreach Committee presented Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Day at the Museum for the fifteenth consecutive year. This day celebrated the cultural traditions, ancestry, native languages, and unique experiences represented among ethnic groups from Asia and the Pacific.
Over 500 Museum visitors were treated to musical performances, food tastings, hands-on art projects, intricate floral demonstrations, and informational lectures. Approximately 100 performers took the stage to engage the audience in performances ranging from Chinese martial arts displays to Korean Fan Dances and Hawaiian dances. Guest speakers for the lectures included a community outreach specialist from the FBI and a local television news anchor.
The Museum also hosted Mole Day to recognize National Chemistry Week on October 22, 2011. Celebrated annually, Mole Day commemorates Avogadro’s Number (6.02 x 10^23), a basic measuring unit in chemistry. The Museum reached 207 people with math and chemistry activities, with help from the American Chemical Society and the University of New Mexico.
Each year KNME, the local PBS station, provides field trips for students to the local museums. The field trips, called Science Crawl, bring about 600 middle school students to the Museum. Museums are responsible for content programming aligned with the NM Education Standards in Science, Math, Social Studies, and Reading.
“I liked the room that vibrates when the bombs go off, the big airplanes and bombs, the old fashion TV, and the cars.”
Adult education opportunities have been created by the Adult Education Committee of the Board of Trustees. The committee developed a distinguished lecture series named in memory of former board member Dr. Robert L. Long. Lecture topics ranged from a historical perspective of bomb delivery entitled “Days on Tinian Island” by Leon Smith to “Rays of Hope: Advances in Nuclear Medicine” by Dr. Michael Hartshorne. In 2010-2011, about 150 people attended the lectures.
The Museum implemented a six-month science energy program concentrating on literacy skills for three local Title I elementary schools. Almost 1,000 local third, fourth, and fifth-graders benefited from funds provided by a grant from the Stocker Foundation. Students received composition notebooks to record observations, predictions, graphs, and general conclusions about a Museum field trip visit.
Hands-on educational Museum outreach activities touch hundreds of people at a number of events and organizations, including the New Mexico Expo (State Fair) Science Day, Sandia National Laboratories’ Take Your Son/ Daughter to Work Day, the Albuquerque Public Schools’ Join-A-School Program, New Mexico MESA (Math Engineering Science Achievement) Competitions, and many more.
Science is Everywhere themed day and week-long camps are for students ages 6-13 during summer, spring, and winter school vacations. The Museum supplements its staff using certified teachers, and the camp curriculum is aligned with New Mexico science standards in an educational, fun, and creative setting. Guest speakers and field trips enhance the hands-on activities of each camp. Six hundred and twentyeight students attended the Museum camps.
“I loved the enthusiasm and excitement about what he was learning. He was eager to share what he learned that day. I loved that!”
“She told me Roboquest was ‘super-fun’ and talked nonstop in extreme detail all week.” - “ Thanks to kind, encouraging, enthusiastic teachers and helpers!!!”
Funds from the Boeing Corporation enabled the Museum to provide workshops for 70 teachers on the introduction to the discovery of the atom, particles within the atom, isotopes, radiation, nuclear decay, and nuclear energy.
National Nuclear Science Week (NNSW) is a national celebration to focus interest on all aspects of nuclear science. NNSW, which debuted in January 2010, provides for a week of local, regional, and national learning about the contributions and innovations of nuclear science. Themes for the week include: Get to Know Nuclear, Careers, Safety, Energy Generation, and Nuclear Medicine. Events across the nation include student and teacher interactions (including 1,000 student visitors on field trips at the Museum), opportunities for policy makers and industry leaders to communicate the broad and important impact of all facets of nuclear science on our world, and much more. Tools and materials for distribution, education, and celebration are provided at www.nuclearscienceweek.org.
“I had a great time. My favorite part was everything!”
The exhibits of the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History present information in engaging ways on a variety of topics. From the iconic weapons and the planes that carried them to the nuclear medical imaging cameras that pinpoint the body’s molecular activity, the Museum demonstrates how the atom has been used by humans for many purposes.
The Museum opened one permanent and two temporary exhibits in 2010-2011. The Radioactive Waste Transportation permanent exhibit explains the method of shipping transuranic waste in TruPact II containers to the Waste Isolation Project Plant (WIPP). The TruPact II containers can hold up to 14 waste drums that weigh 19,250 pounds when fully loaded. They transport transuranic waste (which refers to waste such as gloves or tools that have come in contact with artificially made, radioactive elements that have atomic numbers higher than uranium in the periodic table of elements). The exhibit was provided by the Department of Energy and URS Corp.; it drew 2,650 visitors in its first month on display.
A temporary exhibit entitled Yesterday’s Tomorrows focused on popular culture and technology as seen in toys, books, movie stills, world’s fair memorabilia, car designs, advertisements, and architectural designs to examine ways in which Americans of the late 19th and 20th centuries envisioned the future. Over 9,500 visitors viewed the exhibit, which was created by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibits Service.
Almost 28,000 visitors viewed Bikinis & Martinis: Life After The Bomb, an exhibit that demonstrated how Americans reacted to the Atomic Age. The exhibit was highlighted by “duck and cover” movies, kits designed to help someone find deposits of uranium, and scores of comic books depicting heroes endowed with special powers as a result of nuclear energy. The temporary exhibit was created in-house.
Two other exhibits were also displayed for part of this fiscal year. The Gadget (code named by the Los Alamos scientists who developed it for the test at Trinity Site) is a large metal sphere assembled to resemble the original device; it is now on permanent display. Inspired Excellence, which was exhibited in the summer and fall, presented the story of Marie Sklodowska Curie and Lise Meitner. Inspired Excellence now serves the Museum as a rental exhibit.
AECOM representatives and Museum staff enjoy the opening of the temporary exhibit, Bikinis and Martinis: Life After the Bomb
Members have the opportunity to view the temporary exhibit, Yesterday’s Tomorrow, in a members-only reception
The opening of the Radioactive Waste Transportation exhibit provided for an enjoyable evening with partners
The Museum’s volunteers are vital to the operation of the Museum. In 2010-2011, they enhanced our exhibits, provided information on tours of visitors, and provided administrative support to the Museum staff. Their support meant that hundreds of photos were scanned and cataloged, new members received their membership cards, students learned about science and history, and a number of exhibits were completed. For example, eight volunteers spent a number of hours assembling the Nike Hercules, now on display in Heritage Park.
Every year the Museum bestows the Maydew-Jeblick award to one volunteer who goes beyond his or her duties to benefit the Museum. The eleventh honoree was Duane Hughes, who fills in two regular shifts as a volunteer and assists with the crucial work in the exhibit area. When the Museum moved from the Old Town site to the present facility, Duane organized his crew from Habitat for Humanity and together they constructed the interior walls of the exhibits. The efforts of Duane and his crew saved the Museum thousands of dollars.
The Museum was host to 3,360 guests during this year’s 56 facility rental events, which contributed over $36,000 in revenue.
Approximately 1,150 Boy Scouts experienced the Museum within a group tour, while over 2,400 other guests toured the Museum with a docent or on a selfguided tour.
145 volunteers devoted 12,895 hours of service to the Museum between 2010-2011.
200 visitors from all over the world enjoyed the biannual Trinity experience hosted by the Museum and its docents.
Attendance at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History reached almost 47,000 in the fiscal year 2011.
With 1,298 members, the Museum reached an all-time high of member support. Eighty five percent of the Museum’s members are from New Mexico.
Volunteers assisting in the assembly and display of The Gadget
Thanks to those who contributed photographs to the Museum, especially Tom Brahl Photography.
Maydew-Jeblick award winner Duane Hughes with Jim Walther, Museum Director
A crucial aspect of the Museum’s activities involves raising funds to fully support its on-going Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Educational programs. The Einstein Society Gala, our prestigious, elegant, and most important fundraising event of the year, does just that! The evening honors an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in the nuclear field, areas of military leadership, medical technology, public policy, government, energy sciences, education, or space exploration.
Our 14th Annual Einstein Society Gala was held on Saturday, March 19, 2011. Nearly 400 attendees were on hand as the 2011 National Award of Nuclear Science & History was presented to Dr. Helmut Engelbrecht, CEO of URENCO, Ltd., the world leader in uranium enrichment technology and uranium enrichment services.
The 2011 Einstein Society Gala included an exciting array of 100 silent auction items that netted the Museum $15,435. The Gala’s net proceeds of $37,739 provided critical funding for education programs.
Jim Walther, Museum Director; Dick Peebles, Foundation President; and Congressman Martin Heinrich present Dr. Helmut Engelbrecht, CEO of URENCO, Ltd., with the 2011 National Award of Nuclear Science & History
The Quantum Leap Campaign was launched in February 2011 with the intent to expand the Museum by adding additional public areas such as laboratory facilities, classrooms, exhibitions, and presentation spaces to the museum facility and expand the external “Heritage Park” aircraft display field to feature more unique aircraft.
An attractive option for Museum supporters, N-Vision Plaza is located prominently in the center of the entrance plaza to the Museum and seen by more than 46,000 visitors annually. It permanently recognizes and honors the name of a family member, colleague, or business. The four columns represent the four mission components of the Museum: Archives, Education, History, and Science. The N-Vision Plaza component of the Quantum Leap Campaign is designed to raise more than $800,000 to help pay down our line of credit
and fund the site work as part of the Relocation Project. The Museum raised more than $15,000 through the N-Vision Plaza component by the end of 2011.
The Pave-the-Path project has acquired more than 100 participants as it continues to wind its way around Heritage Park through the amazing collection of artifacts, aircraft, and weapons in the nine-acre park outside the Museum.
The project to restore one of the world’s greatest nuclear submarines, the SSN 645, James K. Polk, continues. With the help of more than 80 participants, including members of the SSN James K. Polk Veterans Association, refurbishment of the national treasure is well under way. More than 4,100 bricks will eventually outline the Polk sail in the Museum’s outdoor Heritage Park.
