Lori Bettison-Varga

Dr. Bettison-Varga arrived at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County in October 2015. She oversees NHM in Exposition Park, La Brea Tar Pits in Hancock Park, and the William S. Hart Museum in Newhall. Her immediate goals include advancing the outreach and education around urban nature and community science, completing the design of the new Center for Nature and Culture, which will put a fresh face on NHM's western wing, as well as the reimagining of La Brea Tar Pits, where visitors can make connections between Ice Age Los Angeles 50,000 years ago, and climate change today.

A geologist who received her PhD from the University of California, Davis, Dr. Bettison-Varga served six years as President and W.M. Keck Foundation Presidential Chair at Scripps College in Claremont, California. There, she enhanced the visibility of the college, implemented policies to foster greater transparency and community engagement, initiated strategic planning for diversity and sustainability, and inaugurated a comprehensive capital campaign.