DIRECTOR, STERNBERG MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY



Fort Hays State University is searching for a highly motivated and 

innovative Director for its Sternberg Museum of Natural History. 



STERNBERG MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY:  

The Sternberg Museum of Natural History occupies a completely renovated 

(completed in 1999), unique building adjacent to Interstate-70 Highway in 

Hays, Kansas.  Its 101,000 square feet of floor space accommodates both 

public areas and collection management space.  The collection space houses 

extensive research collections representing the disciplines of mammalogy, 

ornithology, herpetology, ichthyology, entomology, botany, vertebrate 

paleontology, and paleobotany.  The total number of specimens in these 

collections is in excess of 3 million, and the Museum thus serves as a 

major research resource for the academic departments of Biological 

Sciences and Geosciences.  Public exhibits of the Museum are 

internationally known and focus on animals of the Cretaceous time period. 

These are supplemented with a program of temporary exhibitions, both 

leased and prepared in-house, relating to a broad spectrum of natural 

history topics.  Educational programming for adults and especially for 

children is designed to instill a fascination for plants and animals in 

their environment.  The new Kansas Wetlands Education Center, located 70 

miles away at the largest wetland area in the central United States, is a 

branch of the Sternberg Museum of Natural History that functions to 

educate the public about the importance, history, plant and animal 

inhabitants, and conservation of wetlands.



RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIRECTOR: 

The Director of the Sternberg Museum of Natural History reports to the 

University’s Vice President for Administration and Finance, who reports 

directly to the University President.  The Director is responsible for 

leadership and day to day operations of the Museum. It is preferred but 

not required the Director be qualified to be the scientific authority for 

the Museum. Specific duties include the following.

- Administer the various Museum budgets, including State appropriations, 

grants and contracts, Museum endowments, Sternberg Store revenue, gate 

receipts, and any others that may exist.

- Plan and participate in fundraising activities of the Museum.

- Formulate, implement, monitor, and evaluate strategic and long-range 

plans.

- Establish and implement Museum policy.

- Recruit, supervise, and evaluate Museum staff.

- Approve and oversee plans for permanent and temporary exhibits, 

educational programs, and public service activities of the Museum.

- Develop and administer plans to market the Museum to the public and 

scientific community.

- Serve as spokesperson and advocate for the Museum both within and 

outside the University.

- Oversee curation of the collections of the Museum, ensuring that they 

are maintained according to acceptable professional standards.

- Oversee the functions of the Kansas Wetlands Education Center, the 

day-to-day operations of which are performed under the supervision of a 

Site Manager. 

- Conduct and publish scholarly research.

- Participate in professional activities designed to promote the scholarly 

reputations of the Museum and the University.

- Provide service to the Museum, the University, and the community.



QUALIFICATIONS: 

Minimal qualifications include an earned PhD degree in one of the academic 

disciplines represented by research collections in the Museum, preferably 

biology or paleontology. Experience in museum administration is preferred. 

 Exceptional candidates with only an M.S. degree but having extensive 

experience in museum administration will be considered.  Applicants should 

provide evidence of scholarship and must demonstrate aptitude for 

administration.  Other qualifications include strong communication skills 

and the ability to interact with diverse constituents. 

 

SALARY: 

Commensurate with qualifications.



STARTING DATE: 

1 May 2009



CONTACT:

Dr Elmer Finck, Search Committee Chair

Department of Biology

Fort Hays State University

302A Albertson Hall

Hays, KS 67601

Phone 785-628-4214

Email [log in to unmask]



APPLICATION:

Electronic applications are encouraged.  Applications will be accepted 

until the position is filled and must include at a minimum:

1.  Letter of application

2.  Curriculum vitae or resume

3.  Statement of professional interests and aspirations

4.  Copies of representative scholarly work, if available

5.  Names, mailing addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers of 4 

references

Please do not request letters of recommendation.



Fort Hays State University does not discriminate on the basis of gender, 

race, religion, national origin, age, disability, Vietnam era veteran 

status, or special disabled veteran status in its programs and activities. 

 The University employs only United States citizens and aliens who are 

lawfully authorized to work in the United States.  The Director of 

Affirmative Action and Coordinator of Title IX, Section 504 and ADA 

Regulations may be contacted at 600 Park Street, Hays, KS 67601, 

785-628-4033.  FHSU is committed to the cultural enrichment of its student 

body and work force through Affirmative Action and Equal 

Education/Employment Opportunity.  Members of historically 

underrepresented social groups in higher education, women, and persons 

with disability or veteran status are encouraged to apply.  Successful 

candidates will have consented to and successfully completed a criminal 

background check.



Fort Hays State University is a state-supported liberal and applied arts 

institution governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.  It primarily serves 

the western one-half of Kansas.  More than 10,000 students are enrolled in 

4 colleges (Arts and Sciences, Business and Leadership, Education and 

Technology, and Health and Life Sciences) and a Graduate School, which 

have a combined total of 340 full-time faculty members.  The campus is 

modern, spacious (4,160 acres), and attractive, and it has outstanding 

museums, galleries, and cultural and recreational facilities.



Hays, Kansas is a city of approximately 20,000 located roughly midway 

between Kansas City and Denver on I-70.  It is a regional center serving 

the cultural, health, educational, business, service, and transportation 

needs of much of western Kansas.  Medical and educational facilities are 

superior.  Manufacturing, medicine, education, retail sales, farming, 

ranching, and oil comprise a large part of the local economy.  One public 

elementary school recently was rated among the top 25 in the country by a 

national publication.