Talking to the new director of Harvard’s Peabody Museum
When Jane Pickering assumes her new role as William and Muriel Seabury Howells Director of Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology July 1, she will have an eye on both the past and the future of the famed museum. Pickering, who was named to the position yesterday by Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay, has been the executive director of the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture (HMSC) for six years. She has more than 30 years of experience working in university museums, and was appointed to the National Museum and Library Services Board by President Barack Obama in 2016. Pickering spoke with the Gazette about her love of artifacts, her leadership experience, and her plans for the Peabody. Q&A Jane Pickering GAZETTE: What has it been like to be part of the Harvard museum community? PICKERING: I’ve been at Harvard for six years and have loved being here. There are...