Posted 1:02 pm Tuesday, February 07, 2012
UT Tyler, Discovery Science Place Forming Collaboration
By REBECCA HOEFFNER
Staff Writer
Representatives from The Discovery Science Place and The University of Texas at Tyler announced a new collaboration between the two institutions at a news conference on Monday.
"We are excited to partner with The Discovery Science Place," UT Tyler President Rodney Mabry said. "Providing quality education is a mission that we share, so it's natural that we would work together on this initiative."
The collaboration will be specifically with Discovery Science Place and the UT Tyler Ingenuity Center. The UT Tyler Ingenuity Center has worked with Discovery Science Place on educational and programming projects in the past. This initiative simply expands that relationship for the next three years, according to a written release from Discovery Science Place.
Under this initiative, Discovery Science Place employees will become UT Tyler employees, and the ultimate goal will be to develop Discovery Science Place into a full, stand-alone UT Tyler Center. Officials said the 501c3 status will not be affected when the Discovery Science Place employees become UT Tyler employees.
For the time being, it will remain a stand-alone museum with its own governing body, while the UT Tyler Ingenuity Center will strengthen the educational programming Discovery Science Place offers. The Ingenuity Center will design programs based on its STEM outreach (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The Ingenuity Center also will serve as in an advisory capacity for the museum.
"Collaborations of the kind DSP and UT Tyler are implementing are quite common in the museum field," Discovery Science Place CEO Phil Lindsey said. "This will develop a more robust museum. DSP is not going anywhere. Now the funds we receive will be able to go directly to the exhibit floor."
The Discovery Science Place board will maintain creative control over the museum's exhibits, branding and fundraising activities, while serving in an advisory role in education and programming, according to the written release.
Dr. Michael Odell, of the Ingenuity Center, said it has many "gadgets and toys" that he's excited to share with Discovery Science Place.
Content planning for the spring and summer events immediately will begin, according to a written release.
Updated Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 1:02 p.m. CST
Updated Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 1:02 p.m. CST
