Director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History leaving for new position

The director of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History is leaving his position after almost four years for a job in North Carolina.

Eric Dorfman, who became director of the museum and the Powdermill Nature Reserve in Cook Township in 2015, has accepted a position as director of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, according to a news release on the museum’s website.

Under his supervision, the Carnegie museum broke annual visitation records, created a live animal program, increased the number of staff positions, started an education scholarship program for underserved communities and raised more than $24 million in four years.

“Eric Dorfman brings extensive experience that will help grow the reputation of our state’s most-visited museum and joins the talented team of people working to preserve natural history and resources across our state,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said in a release announcing Dorfman’s hiring.

Dorfman previously held the position of senior manager of science development at the Museum of New Zealand and the New Zealand Department of Conservation and worked as a postdoctoral fellow in Australia and South Africa.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in ecology, behavior and evolution from the University of California-San Diego, a master’s degree in marine science from San Jose State University and a doctor’s degree in ecology from the University of Sydney.

He will start at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in early 2020.

“I am deeply honored to lead the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences … I am eager to work with them to continue the legacy they’ve built, furthering the museum’s opportunities for world-class research and for sharing a love of nature with future generations. I can’t wait to get started,” Dorfman said in the release.