Presented by Equity Bank
As far back as the 16th century when polymath Galileo maintained that the earth revolved around the sun and not the other way around, the world has been divided into believers and questioners. Questioners could turn into believers if the concept in question was proven to be true, but believers are a tougher nut to crack. Thus, science, which relies on Galileo’s scientific method of questioning, has been in for a rough ride during the pandemic.
One of the leaders in the charge for science, technology, and engineering is Kansas City’s Linda Hall Library, founded in 1946. Recently, when longtime president Lisa Browar retired, the Linda Hall Library conducted a national search for a new leader. Eric Dorfman, PhD, was appointed in July.
As the new president of one of the nation’s foremost libraries—“a guardian of the collective intellectual heritage with regard to science, technology, and engineering disciplines”—Dorfman has taken up the challenge of expanding the horizons of the library.
Dorfman comes to Kansas City from North Carolina State University with an impressive international resume as a research professor, museum director, author, podcaster, and executive board member of the International Council of Museums. His PhD is from the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia.
In his own words, he tells us more about what makes him tick.
Growing up in California, what sparked your interest in science? Did you collect rocks as a kid, grow those “sea monkeys,” investigate life in tide pools?
I was very fortunate to start my life journey living on the beach in Malibu. One of my earliest memories was of thousands of grunion—small silver fish that come onto the sand to lay their eggs by the light of the full moon—swarming around my 3-year-old feet. There were definitely sea monkeys, tide pools, as well as a 4th-grade teacher who introduced us to mineral collecting. When you think about it, there was no escaping being in an institution that has a science collection.
The spectacle and phenomenon of nature stayed with me and was one of the things that gave me the impetus to study science and share the love of science with others. Then I went to college at the University of California San Diego where we were encouraged to take a diversity of courses in different subjects as part of our degree. I studied singing, acting, and music theory as well as ecology, statistics, and animal behavior. This broad background definitely serves me well today.
We’re in a time in which some people question the validity of science and are scared of science. How do you take up that challenge?
The Linda Hall Library and its resources are important, not just because it serves as source material for new research and inspiration for artists, but because science itself has the opportunity to address many of the world’s most intractable and looming problems. Public trust in science is critical for leveraging the will to support scientific solutions for issues—like climate change—that affect us all. Developing this trust is one of the greatest ways that cultural institutions like ours can add value and secure a future for the next generation. The library has a unique opportunity to take the magnificent collection and its internal expertise and turn it outward, sharing the information within its holdings even further with the world.
My vision, and my pleasure, is to work with the institution’s knowledge-holders to interpret and synthesize the incredible storehouse of society’s collective scientific wisdom, adding vitality to conversations that are of increasing relevance—and urgency—in today’s rapidly changing world.
Is there an “arts” side to complement your “science” side?
There is. In my youth, I was very involved in the performing arts. I was acting and singing opera before I was bitten by the marine biology bug. Much of my work now still builds on the intersection of arts and sciences, whether in books, exhibitions, or programming. I’m grateful for the time I’ve spent in performance, which helps me daily in the work I do. I’m also very pleased to be at the Linda Hall Library, which is a beacon of science and its interpretation for the region, building on Kansas City’s commitment to being an intersection of arts, culture, and innovation.
You have worn many hats: scientist, museum director, author, podcaster, thinker. Is there a new hat you’d like to try on?
I’ve been blessed to have the chance to spend time doing the things I love and, I believe, am good at. A couple of things I’ve had a taste of that I’d love to return to one day are film directing and writing fiction. Both require the discipline that I enjoy, while providing facets of creative freedom that would challenge me in new ways.