Gary John Morgan has been appointed as Michigan State University Museum director, effective Sept. 1, where he will oversee Michigan's natural history and culture museum and the state's first Smithsonian Institution affiliate.

Morgan, a native of Australia, has more than 25 years of experience in museum management, research and wildlife conservation. He previously served as executive director of the Western Australian Museum in Perth, including the Western Australian Maritime Museum, Fremantle History Museum and other public sites across that state. He was director of collections and research at Te Papa Museum of New Zealand, associate director of the Australian Museum in Sydney, and has worked as a national parks and wildlife manager and wilderness conservation officer. Morgan holds a Ph.D. in zoology from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and at one time headed the Department of Aquatic Invertebrates at the Western Australia Museum, and was a researcher in marine biology programs at the Museum of Victoria.

Morgan has extensive international experience, including recent work as a heritage advisor and project manager for the Kungoni Centre of Culture and Art in Mua, Malawi, Africa, and as a strategic planner for the Sharjah Museums Department in the United Arab Emirates. He is currently wrapping up his work as a senior advisor to some new museum projects in the Arabian Gulf region.

"I have a great respect for what American museums have been achieving in innovative advances on public learning," says Morgan. "Michigan State University Museum can be right at the center of that, with its range of disciplines, its emphasis on scholarship and diverse education programs, and its role within and outside of the university."

Morgan will arrive on campus this fall after concluding an international museum development project. He succeeds C. Kurt Dewhurst, who led the museum for 27 years and is taking on a new role in University Outreach and Engagement as director of arts and cultural initiatives. Dewhurst will maintain curatorial duties in folklife and cultural heritage at the museum, as well as teach in the Museum Studies Program in the College of Arts and Letters. He is a professor of English and a University Outreach and Engagement Campus Senior Fellow. (Learn more here: http://news.msu.edu/staff-faculty/story/6387.) Julie A. Avery, MSU Museum curator of rural life and a long-time administrator, will serve as acting director from July 1 until Sept. 1.

"Gary has broad, extensive experience with museums in Australia, the Middle East, and Africa, and his interdisciplinary research provides an excellent fit with the diverse interests of our faculty. We look forward to introducing Dr. Morgan to the university community, as well as our Museum collaborators and supporters regionally, nationally, and internationally," said Hiram E. Fitzgerald, associate provost for University Outreach and Engagement.

The MSU Museum, accredited by the American Association of Museums, collects, preserves, studies and interprets cultural artifacts and natural history specimens, with collections numbering more than 1 million in four buildings on the MSU campus. Founded in 1857, the MSU Museum is committed to education, exhibitions, research and the building and stewardship of collections that focus on Michigan and its relationship to the Great Lakes and the world beyond.

The MSU Museum has faculty, curators, and specialists who develop research, exhibitions, and educational programs in partnership with the colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arts and Letters, Natural Science and Social Science, as well as programming and partnerships with the Residential College in Arts and Humanities, International Studies and Programs, and other units across Michigan State University. The museum is administered through MSU's Office of the Provost for University Outreach and Engagement.

The Office of the Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement fosters MSU's land grant mission by connecting university knowledge with community knowledge in mutually beneficial ways. UOE provides resources to assist academic departments, centers and institutes, and MSU-Extension on priority issues of concern to society by encouraging, supporting, and collaborating with MSU faculty and academic staff to generate, apply, transmit, and preserve knowledge.

C. Kurt Dewhurst, director of the Michigan State University Museum since 1983, will take on the new role of director of arts and cultural initiatives in the Office of University Outreach and Engagement starting July 1.

Hiram Fitzgerald, associate provost for Outreach and Engagement, said Dewhurst will be "a terrific catalyst for additional collaborations, projects and university-community endeavors in this exciting new role at MSU."

"Arts and culture are an essential element in Michigan State University's work to create prosperity for the common global good and to nurture a sense of humanity and hope for all," Fitzgerald said. "Kurt's commitment to collaboration, community engagement and global connectivity provide great momentum and impact for the university's efforts."

Dewhurst helped found the museum's nationally known folk life research, collection development and outreach programs. Under his direction, the museum became Michigan's first Smithsonian Institution affiliate, creating shared research, collections, exhibitions and educational programs.

He chairs MSU's Cultural Engagement Council, which works to increase awareness and participation in arts and cultural activities. Dewhurst, a professor in the Department of English, will continue as curator of folk arts at the museum.

A national search for a new museum director is under way.

For more, visit MSU News: http://news.msu.edu/staff-faculty/story/6387 .

2008 Michigan Week Youth Photo Contest Exhibit: Youths aged 9 to 19 from forty Michigan counties submitted photos of their favorite Michigan historic sites for consideration for the 2008 Michigan Week Youth Photo Contest. Twelve winning photos were selected to represent our state and to tour as an exhibit for twelve months. After touring at county fairs, libraries, museums and other venues, the final exhibit site is at the MSU Museum's Youth Gallery. Examples of photos in the exhibit include "The Mint Jail" in Bronson; "Fishtown" in Leland; and St. Mary's Church in Cheboygan.

The MSU Museum works closely with 4-H and MSU Extension around the state, creating programs exploring family traditions, cultural expressions, agricultural heritage and community development.

This exhibit will be on view through June 2009 in the MSU Museum's Youth Art Gallery, located on the ground floor.

The MSU Museum Store hosts its annual clearance sale beginning Saturday, June 20 through Thursday, July 2.

Special promotions and fun giveaways are planned for each day throughout the sale:

• Saturday, June 20 -- kick-off for the Museum Store Annual Clearance Sale:
• Buy anything from the clearance table and get 20% off any one regular priced item.
  
  
• Sunday, June 21 -- Free Book Day #1:
• Buy anything from the clearance table and get a free copy of "Michigan Quilts".
  
  
• Tuesday, June 23 -- Celebrate National Pecan Sandies Day:
• Get 20% off any one item while enjoying a free pecan sandie cookie.
  
  
• Wednesday, June 24 -- Celebrate National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month:
• All cookbooks and food related items 20% off today.
  
• Thursday, June 25 -- Only six months until Christmas:
• Start your holiday shopping early and get 20% off your entire purchase.
  
  
• Friday, June 26 -- -- Campus Special Discount:
• Show your MSU ID and get 25% off any one regular priced item.
  
  
• Saturday, June 27 -- Free Book Day #2:
• Buy anything from the clearance table and get a free copy of "Together We Dance - Contemporary Great Lakes Pow Wow Regalia"
  
  
• Sunday, June 28 -- Sterling Silver Jewelry Sale:
• All sterling silver and gemstone jewelry is 20% off today.
  
  
• Tuesday, June 30 -- Celebrate National Candy Month:
• Get 20% off any one item while enjoying a free dark chocolate treat.
  
  
• Wednesday, July 1 -- Free Book Day #3:
• Buy anything from the clearance table and get a free copy of "Mary Schafer and Her Quilts"
  
  
• Thursday, July 2 -- Final Day of the Museum Store Annual Clearance Sale:
• Buy anything from the clearance table and get 30% off any one regular priced item.

Sorry, discounts cannot be combined. Some consigned items may be excluded. One free gift per person, please.

The MSU Museum Store is located on the first level of the MSU Museum, on West Circle Drive next to the Beaumont Tower on the MSU campus. Proceeds from Museum Store sales are used to sustain visitor service programs.

For more information, call: (517) 355-2373

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