Faced with a worsening deficit, the venerable, research-driven University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaelogy and Anthropology is seeking to reinvent itself as an updated "tourist magnet."
As an initial step, the director has laid off 18 researchers, though some may stay if grant money can be found to cover their salaries.
"We were living beyond our means," said Director Richard Hodges. He said the museum's finances are unsustainable, and that the museum must refurbish its exhibits and "get its income up."
News of the potential layoffs dismayed scholars inside the museum and out. The 120-year-old Penn museum has a worldwide reputation for its scholarship and for supporting expeditions - from the tombs of Egypt to the temples of the Mayans to the remains of Babylon, Gordion and Troy.
Several prominent scientists could soon lose their jobs, including Patrick McGovern, a chemical archaeologist who has made national headlines with his analyses of stains on ancient vessels, some revealing the world's oldest wines and beers.
These researchers are "the last thing you'd give up" if the new mission still rests on "obtaining and disseminating knowledge," said Irene Winter, a fine arts professor at Harvard.
"I agree it's a bit of a shock to get rid of some," said Hodges, a British archaeologist who took over as the Penn museum's director in 2007. "But we've made it clear to many of them if we can find the funding, we'll keep them."
Hodges said he created the new "Five-Year Museum Strategy" last spring, which aims to draw more visitors by "refurbishing the tired exhibits."
See the above page for the full story, which also includes comments from Oscar Muscarella, Mark Rose, and Melissa Smith.
No comments:
Post a Comment