On March 5, the Academy of Natural Sciences’ Board of Trustees elected a new chair, Suzanne Biemiller. Suzanne steps into the role in the wake of former chair David E. Griffith’s retirement, who served diligently in the role for the past six years.
Suzanne brings a wealth of leadership experience into the role. She is the Executive Director of Audubon Mid-Atlantic and a Vice President at the National Audubon Society. In 2017, she founded Highland Strategies, which supported the work of nonprofits, foundations and government agencies. Notably, Suzanne served as policy director and First Deputy Chief of Staff to Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter from 2008 to 2014. During that time, she spearheaded the Greenworks Philadelphia initiative, which united the city’s sustainability efforts and won the 2010 Siemens Sustainability Award.
Suzanne earned a BA in American Studies from Williams College and a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and has been on the Academy’s Board since 2023.
Recently, Suzanne shared some of her thoughts about the next chapter for the Academy and its Board of Trustees.
What do you think makes the Academy of Natural Sciences special?
There are many, many things that I could point to about what makes the Academy a unique organization. When I first spoke to the board as its new chair, I told them that I first encountered the Academy in the early 1970s when my mother was a volunteer working in the Education department. I accompanied her to the Academy one day and have distinct memories of climbing a creaky wooden staircase and entering a room full of stuffed birds and mammals and other curiosities. I was entranced by what I saw, and to this day, I continue to be awed by the natural world with its complexities, power and wonder.
I believe strongly in the Academy’s long-held public mission—to increase understanding of the natural world and inspire everyone to care for it. Yet I especially appreciate that the Academy—like all healthy organizations and organisms—has never been afraid to adapt to meet the demands of a changing world. Dynamic entities are the ones that survive. This proclivity towards evolution also makes the Academy special.
What have you learned about science, our collections or about the museum since you joined the board that stands out?
I currently lead the Mid-Atlantic region for the National Audubon Society. In that role, I have become more in tune with and appreciative of birds than I ever was before–talk about adapting! Birds are sentinels of environmental health and degradation. So imagine my delight when I got to peer into the Academy’s bird collection–the plumage, the colors, the beaks, the tails!
But what I particularly appreciate is how the Academy uses its historical collections and scientists to inform solutions to today’s problems. Four years ago, the Academy collaborated with Audubon and the Philadelphia Ornithological Society to create Lights Out Philadelphia, which encourages Center City buildings to dim their external lights during spring and fall migration seasons to prevent bird collisions.
Researchers at the Patrick Center are also using science to understand changes in watersheds and tributaries across the globe and close to home in Philadelphia’s Eastwick and Germantown neighborhoods that are prone to flooding.
These are all examples of “science that serves” and they help make the Academy a unique natural science organization.
What drives your interest in the natural world?
As a suburban child of the 1970s, I spent a lot of unstructured time outside (we had moved to Rochester, NY by then). I am a bit of an introvert, so in the summer, much of my time was spent simply climbing trees and watching the clouds float by. To this day, I find peace when I am outdoors, and my mind opens up to new possibilities.
I was also fortunate to attend a girls’ canoe tripping camp starting when I was 9 years old. The camp was founded in 1906 and to this day, it does not have electricity or running water (my husband refers to it as “survival camp”). Each summer, I would find myself in a canoe, paddling and portaging through Canada’s Algonquin Park, and I learned to respect and be awed by the natural world. I also learned that girls can do anything.
Much of my work in recent years has focused on preserving and restoring habitats so that birds might survive. Yet I believe that nature sustains and heals people too. Everyone deserves to live near a healthy habitat where they might find solace, joy and inspiration. But sadly, the natural world continues to shrink and face threats. Addressing those threats is what motivates me.
What are your goals and aspirations as Board Chair?
I’d like to push back on your question a bit. In my mind, the Chair’s goals should be the board’s goals should be the organization’s goals. Members of the board have a duty of loyalty and of care to the Academy and we all take that duty seriously.
This means that we should act to ensure that the Academy leadership and staff have the resources and clarity they need to advance the organization’s important mission. We also need to ask ourselves and our many stakeholders if our current programs and strategies remain relevant as we move more deeply into the 21st century. What does the world require of the Academy today? We need to have the courage to raise these questions, listen with humility and then act.
Is there anything else you’d like to say to Academy patrons and members?
I am truly humbled to be the Academy board chair. I know what the Academy means to generations of Philadelphians. Since 1812, its staff have made discoveries that have increased our understanding of the past and inform our future. Through exhibits and educational programs, we have shown countless children (and adults) the wonders of habitats that they may never encounter in real life—or have inspired them to go explore the world as they mature. The mission of the Academy has never seemed more relevant than it does today given the threats that the natural world and science are under. I look forward to meeting this moment with all of you.
Biemiller will lead her first meeting of the Academy’s Board of Trustees May 7, and will attend a meet and greet session with Academy members on April 30. Want to join? Become a member today!
You can support the Academy’s research efforts to understand the natural world and inspire everyone to care for it by becoming a member or donating to our scientific collections.
Tú también puedes apoyar los proyectos de investigación de la Academia, y así ayudar a entender y proteger la riqueza natural convirtiéndote en miembro o haciendo una donación a nuestras colecciones científicas.