President and Chief Executive Officer

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Ray Vandiver as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Saint Louis Science Center.

Dr. Vandiver brings more than three decades of experience leading science centers and museums. He joins the Science Center from the Discovery Lab in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he served as their founding Executive Director for over 12 years. Prior to serving as the Executive Director and CEO of the Discovery Lab, Vandiver was Vice President of the Center for Learning Experience at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), and served as founding executive director of the Bootheel Youth Museum in Malden, MO.

Dr. Vandiver returns to his hometown and is excited to being the work executing the Science Center’s strategic plan and deliver on the mission to “inspire everyone to be curious and engaged in science.”

“We are thrilled to bring an executive of Ray’s stature to the Science Center,” said Dr. Mark Wrighton, chairman of the Science Center’s Board of Commissioners and chairman of the search committee. Dr. Vandiver is a strong leader with a well-versed knowledge of STEM informal learning and leading science centers and museums through innovation, growth, and community engagement.

Vandiver holds a B.A. in physics from Saint Louis University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in physics from Missouri University of Science and Technology.

The full press release announcing Dr. Vandiver’s appointment can be found here.

Andy Lee led this search with Ivan Ceballos and Madeline Fitzpatrick.