Eric Dorfman
Dr. Eric Dorfman is Director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History and chairs the ICOM Committee for Museums and Collections of Natural History (NATHIST). Dorfman’s doctorate at The University of Sydney concerned scale-dependent habitat use of Australian waterbirds. He writes about natural history, climate change, museology and ethics, serving as Deputy Chair of the ICOM Ethics Committee. He is a board member of Visit Pittsburgh and an adjunct professor at University of Pittsburgh.
Subjects: Anthropology - Soc Sci, Archaeology, Art & Visual Culture, Built Environment, Business, Management and Accounting, Communication Studies, Education, Environment and Agriculture , Environment and Sustainability, Film and Video, Gaming, Gender & Intersectionality Studies, Geography , History, Literature, Museum and Heritage Studies , Tourism, Hospitality and Events
Biography
Dr. Eric Dorfman Eric is Director of Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Natural History and President of the International Council of Museums Committee for Museums and Collections of Natural History (ICOM NATHIST). Dorfman completed a master’s degree through San Jose State University studying the behavioral ecology porpoises in Monterey Bay, California and a doctorate at The University of Sydney on scale-dependent habitat use of waterbirds in eastern and central Australia.Dorfman is active in the natural history museum sector internationally, coauthoring the ICOM Code of Ethics for Natural History Museums, as well as chairing the ICOM NATHIST Wildlife Trafficking Working Group. He is an author of several popular books on New Zealand natural history and climate change, as well as scholarly papers on museum business models, public programming, Egyptology and the ecology of wetland birds. His most recent authorship prior to The Future of Natural History Museums was as editor of Intangible Natural Heritage (Routledge 2012).
He is a board member of Visit Pittsburgh and an adjunct professor at University of Pittsburgh and on the editor board of Museum Worlds: Advances in Research. Prior to his current position, he was Director of Whanganui Regional Museum in New Zealand and lectured in the Museums and Heritage Studies Department of Victoria University of Wellington.
Education
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PhD, The University of Sydney, Austrlia, 1997
Areas of Research / Professional Expertise
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Current research includes studies of the origins of facultative commensalism between humans and other organisms and the evolution of non-heteronormativity in natural systems. He also has expertise in museum functions, including management, merchandising, curation. His work also encompasses communicating the Anthropocene, especially through the medium of natural history museum collections. He has expertise in professional teaching, documentary making, public speaking and graphic design.
Personal Interests
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Dorfman has previously studied classical singing and fine art. He is a passionate advocate for the conservation of nature.
Books
Photos
News
Book launch part of ICOM NATHIST conference
By: Eric Dorfman
Subjects: Environment and Sustainability, Museum and Heritage Studies , Other
The book launch for The Future of Natural History Museums is happening as part of the conference of the International Council of Musuems Committee for Museums and Collections of Natural History. The theme of the conference is "The Anthropocene: Natural History Museums in the Age of Humanity" and runs from 25-30 October.