Three powerful women are a driving force behind the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, and FOX Chicago is spotlighting them for Women's History Month.
From groundbreaking discoveries to inspiring the next generation of leaders, three women are making their mark on the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere.As part of FOX Chicago 's Women’s History Month spotlight, Kasey Chronis takes us inside the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.
At Griffin MSI, Dr. Chevy Humphrey, Dr. Patricia Ward, and Dr. Voula Saridakis are at the helm — their combined accomplishments include overseeing more than 30,000 artifacts, advancing the museum’s scientific vision, and making history as its first female president.Together, they are shaping the future and setting new standards in leadership. "It means everything. As women, if you can see it, you can be it," said Dr. Chevy Humphrey, president & CEO of Griffin MSI. "You want to make sure that you have a great culture, and it's really people who make the organization."Inside a world of innovation, where wonder fills every corner, it's the people at the heart of the organization who bring the museum to life. "I think it sends a wonderful message to both staff and our visitors that you have these women in these positions of leadership," said Dr. Voula Saridakis, head curator of Griffin MSI. "Thinking about how we help other women and young girls grow and develop and empower them to find their own space and leadership is really important," echoed Dr. Patricia Ward, head scientist of Griffin MSI. Their shared vision and passion begins with Humphrey."Every day I drive into this museum, it's like the first day that I started the job," Humphrey said. "When I turn that corner on 57th, my eyes get big, and my heart gets warm, and I'm like, 'let's go!'"Humphrey holds the distinction of becoming the first woman to serve as president and CEO of the nonprofit, recently celebrating five years in the role. Her previous positions helped lay the foundation. At the start of her career, she worked for the Houston Symphony in Texas as a subscriber services assistant."And the CEO walked by every day, and he would always ask me, 'Where are the numbers going to be this weekend, and are we going to make our goal?' I said, 'Yes, we are,' and I'd give him the right numbers, and then he'd walk into this boardroom. And then one day I said, 'Hold up,'" Humphrey recalled. "'You're taking everything I tell you to go into that boardroom and tell everyone else what I just said.' He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Well, if I can do that, I can do what you do.' And he said, 'Yes, you can.'"From there, Humphrey's sights were set."I actually mapped out and I said, what are the jobs that are going to get me to that CEO role," Humphrey said.She went on to blaze a trail at the Arizona Science Center, where the female CEO at the time mentored her. In time, Humphrey became the organization's first Black president and CEO.Now at Griffin MSI, she's steering the museum with the same drive that has defined her journey."There's always something you can learn from — every opportunity, every connection, every place that you go, keep your mind open because that's how you continuously improve," Humphrey said.In the executive offices, it was her request that portraits of the museum's past presidents be displayed. For Humphrey, they are a daily reminder of the legacy she's inherited — and the one she's still building."I'm very excited and very humble to be the first woman, but I don't want to be the last," she said. Like Humphrey, Ward charted her own course as a leader."It was actually a case of serendipity," Ward explained.Ward specializes in immunology, molecular genetics, and cell biology, and after completing postdoctoral work at the University of Chicago, she interviewed at several universities — poised to start her own lab."Kind of had a light bulb moment where I thought, I'm not so sure I want to do this for the rest of my life," Ward said. "And then one day I was paging through a journal, which is the way we looked for jobs back in the late 90s, and I saw an ad to be an exhibit developer here at the Museum of Science and Industry."She began her tenure in 1999. Now, she ensures scientific integrity across museum exhibits, including the new, permanent installation 'Powering the Future' — opening May 8.Ward creates thought-provoking displays to help visitors of all ages better understand science and the role it plays in our everyday lives. She also drives Griffin MSI's research and discovery.Looking back on her path, Ward shared this advice: "It's okay to change. It's important to experiment. You can find your path in a variety of ways."Experiencing and experimenting is what draws visitors into the labyrinth of exploration and imagination in Hyde Park, after all."I've worked on a number of exhibits over the years, but more recently, one of my favorite has been Henry Crown Space Center, mainly because of my background in the history of astronomy. I'm also a NASA Solar System Ambassador. I love space, so it was so exciting to be a part of that team and a part of that project," Saridakis said.From the museum's tiniest artifact — a storybook spoon in Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle — to its most colossal, the German U-505 Submarine captured by the U.S. Navy during World War II, Saridakis oversees the Collections and Archives Department."Right now, we're standing inside collections storage, which is inside the museum where we house the majority of our artifacts that are not out on the floor," Saridakis explained.It's there that she and a dedicated team acquire, document, and preserve each object entrusted to them — a vast catalog of tens of thousands of pieces.The collection was started in 1929, several years before the museum opened its doors. With each artifact that goes on display, Saridakis brings a story to life."I have to say that no two days are alike, and that's actually one of the things I really love," she said.In a field where women didn't always have a front-row seat, Saridakis is making sure to integrate their place in history."One of my favorite artifacts is the World War II steel plate that we were able to bring here that is signed in 1943, signed by all these women who worked in the steel industry nearby," Saridakis said. Together, Humphrey, Ward, and Saridakis are amplifying women's voices in science, sparking curiosity, igniting possibility, and inspiring the next generation to dream without limits."I think it's really important to follow the thing that you love," Ward said."Don't let anything stop you, just keep striving to do what you love to do, follow your passion," Saridakis added."Aspire big and see what's out there because you can achieve whatever you put your mind to," Humphrey said. Learn more about Griffin MSI, including its current and upcoming exhibits, by visiting its website.
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