Gabriel-Philip Santos, the Alf Museum’s director of visitor engagement and education, has been honored for his exceptional service to the field of paleontology with the 2022 John and Mary Lou Pojeta Award.
Santos accepted the award, conferred by The Paleontological Society, at the Geological Society of America Connects 2022 gathering held October 9-12 in Denver.
This national-level award was created in 2014 to recognize “exceptional professional or public service, by individuals or groups … above and beyond that of existing formal roles or responsibilities.”
Santos, along with frequent collaborator Brittney Stoneburg, collections manager of the Western Science Center, was recognized for bringing paleontology into new venues through efforts such as Fossil Friday Chats and Cosplay for Science.
“These innovative programs have reached thousands throughout Southern California, nationally and globally and continue to put the Alf Museum on the map,” Alf Museum Director Dr. Andy Farke said. “The recognition from The Paleontological Society, one of the major organizations for our profession, shows the respect that Gabe has earned within our scientific and educational communities.”
Santos, who has been with the Alf Museum since 2015, was promoted to his current post earlier this year. He previously served as both outreach coordinator and collections manager. Santos holds a Master of Science in geological sciences from Cal State Fullerton.
“This was an incredible honor,” Santos said. “When I first started in paleontology I didn’t know if I belonged in this field because I couldn’t see anyone like me in it. It was hard work forging my path, but now to be recognized by the community, I know that I made my place here and I hope I can show others like me they belong here, too.”
In 2021, Santos was named a 2021 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow by National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions for his work as an informal science educator, including using cosplay and pop-up museums to engage diverse communities.
Natural history museums are places for everyone to discover more about this amazing world we all share, but cost of admission can be a barrier for many in our community. That’s why the Alf Museum is proud to announce our participation in the Museums for All initiative!
The Museums for All initiative is available to all receiving SNAP EBT benefits. Simply present your SNAP EBT at the museum to receive free admission for up to four family members per card. Museums for All admission is available during all normal museum hours.
Museums for All helps expand access to museums and also raise public awareness about how museums in the U.S. are reaching their entire communities. More than 850 institutions participate in the initiative, including art museums, children’s museums, science centers, botanical gardens, zoos, history museums, and more. Participating museums are located nationwide, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Virgin Islands. It was created by
“A key part of our mission at the Alf Museum is to bring the wonders of paleontology – which is really the story of life on Earth – to as many members of our community as possible,” said Dr. Andy Farke, director of the Alf Museum. “Museums for All is the perfect companion program to our school and community science outreach programs.”
With the Museums for All initiative, we want to welcome everyone to enjoy a trip through time and share in discovering the amazing story of life on Earth.
For more information, please visit museums4all.org.