Editor’s note: This story is part of The Dallas Morning News’ coverage of the 2024 total solar eclipse. For more, visit dallasnews.com/eclipse.
“No one ever flunked a museum.”
So said Frank Oppenheimer, brother to the legendary J. Robert Oppenheimer and founder of San Francisco’s Exploratorium, which is often credited as one of the earliest pioneers of the hands-on science museum model.
It’s within this philosophy that Linda Silver, chief executive officer of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, found herself rooted, growing up not far from the Exploratorium. Silver’s childhood was filled with visits to museums, fostering a lifelong passion for science education outside traditional classrooms.
“One of the reasons the concept was so successful is you can learn science without any risk,” said Silver, 54. “I always loved being in and around museums, and I was fortunate I had a mom who would always take me.”
Building on these experiences, Silver has undertaken a significant effort: organizing a series of events leading up to the April 8 total solar eclipse. With 29 astronomers dispersed throughout the Dallas area, her goal is to spark the interest of local science enthusiasts — both adults and children alike — and encourage their curiosity in cosmic exploration.
The events include panels and information sessions at parks and high schools, activities at the Perot Museum’s Challenge Lab and various stops at libraries and community centers from the Perot’s TECH Trucks, mobile innovation centers that bring hands-on learning to the public.
Tickets for the museum’s eclipse viewing party have sold out, but there’s another viewing event at Klyde Warren Park on the same day, where eclipse glasses will be provided. In total, the museum plans to distribute over 1 million eclipse glasses in North Texas. Over 575 schools have received batches for their students, Silver said.
Before her 2017 arrival at the Perot, Silver worked with the government of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, overseeing initiatives to promote informal science education. She spent eight years at the helm of the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, one of the country’s top spots for science and tech buffs.
She began her museum career at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, where she ascended to a vice president position.
Amid her academic pursuits — a master’s of business administration from Pepperdine University, and a doctorate in education from the University of Southern California — her experiences at museums have remained a cornerstone of her education.
She vividly remembers the alligator pit at the California Academy of Sciences and the King Tut exhibit at the de Young Museum. Her mother made sure she saw work from all of the notable impressionist painters.
“Those experiences stuck with me,” Silver said. “When you look at what encourages people to get into careers in STEM, it’s really informal science education.”
Her path through academia wasn’t easy. While in her doctoral program, pregnant with her son and the mother of a 3-year-old daughter, Silver’s then-husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer.
Incredibly, he pulled through after two surgeries and cutting-edge immunotherapy. And, after seven years of night classes, Silver received her doctorate.
“I don’t think you actually give yourself time to think about it,” Silver said. “You put your head down and do what needs to get done.”
Silver approached her role at the Perot with the same attitude when she came on board five years after the museum opened to much fanfare and anticipation. Since arriving, she has led the museum through the development of a retrofitted warehouse for 150,000 items that needed a safe preservation space. She has also initiated renovations of its human and engineering halls, created an open paleontology lab and ushered the museum through the COVID pandemic.
“The work that she is leading at the Perot is an exemplar for our field,” said Christofer Nelson, president and CEO of the Association of Science and Technology Centers in Washington, D.C. “She is committed to sharing her expertise and that of her team’s. She shows up to committees and task forces, and she takes the time to talk to emerging leaders in our field.”
Chevy Humphrey, president and CEO at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, said she met Silver in 2004 when they were both the “new kids on the block” in the science executive world — Humphrey at the Arizona Science Center and Silver at Great Lakes.
Since then, Silver’s work — particularly with engaging girls and women in STEM — has been transformational, Humphrey said. Silver brought several women from Abu Dhabi to visit the United States and meet other women in leadership roles — including Humphrey.
“She has a wonderful way of developing relationships with colleagues from around the world to have those thoughtful leadership conversations,” Humphrey said. “She brings a great passion and love for our field.”
CORRECTION, 10:27 a.m., March 25, 2024: An earlier version of this story misspelled the last name of Chevy Humphrey.
Science reporting at The Dallas Morning News is supported by the University of Texas at Dallas. The News makes all editorial decisions.
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