This is my last column as Director of the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Soon after this issue of Expedition appears, I will be stepping down as Director of this great institution after ten exhilarating (but exhausting!) years in this prestigious post. I am very proud of the Museum’s many accomplishments over the past decade, and am extremely thankful for the huge efforts of the curators, staff, Board of Overseers (under the leadership of Bruce Mainwaring, Sara Senior, and John Hover), University administration, and friends of the Museum, who have made our successes possible. I am particularly grateful to Dr. Paula Sabloff, whose tireless work, ideas, support, and encouragement have contributed so much to these achievements. The Museum has made tremendous strides during this time, just as it did under the leadership of my predecessor, Bob Dyson, and I am certain that it will continue to do so under the leadership of my successor.
Among the many accomplishments in recent years are the construction of the Mainwaring Wing for collections research and storage; the new Stoner Courtyard; the revitalized Trescher Entrance; the new Merle-Smith Gallery, which already has hosted a series of terrific, temporary exhibitions; new permanent exhibitions, such as “Living in Balance,”“Canaan and Ancient Israel,” and “Worlds Intertwined” (the Roman and Etruscan exhibitions in the newly renovated Farnese and Phillips Galleries); new fire safety and security upgrades; path-breaking research in over eighteen countries and in our laboratories; greatly enhanced educational outreach, publications (including Expedition!), and public programs; successful reorganization of the management of the Museum; the building of an endowment of approximately $50 million; and the launch of the long-term F.A.R.E. project that will ultimately bring air-conditioning to the old wings of the Museum and upgrade their infrastructure. These are just some of the many achievements about which everyone in the Museum and all our supporters can be proud.
I am thrilled that I have had this opportunity to lead this extraordinary Museum, and I look forward to the Museum’s further blossoming in the coming years.
JEREMY A. SABLOFF
The Williams Director