Orlando Science Center president and CEO JoAnn Newman guides the science museum as a strong community partner for informal science education, family engagement and workforce development. During her tenure, Orlando Science Center has grown to welcome more than 670,000 visitors every year, approximately doubling attendance, revenue and staff. She also leads the institution’s Unlock Science Campaign, a $35 million fundraising effort dedicated to creating new experiences, renovating exhibits and increasing access.
In 2017, Newman was selected as one of the Orlando Business Journal’s top CEOs of the year. She has a BA in industrial engineering from Penn State University and an MA in industrial engineering from Purdue University. She started her career as a development engineer with AT&T Microelectronics in Allentown, Pennsylvania, before transferring to Orlando in 1989 to work as a senior engineer. Newman joined the Orlando Science Center in 2003 as director of operations and held several executive leadership positions before becoming the center’s president and CEO in 2009.
Under Newman’s leadership, the Orlando Science Center has recognised gaps in access to STEM education, particularly the underrepresentation of people of colour and women. In response, she created the Science for All initiative to provide free and reduced-price admission to the center, and to partner with community groups to deliver STEM programming at lower costs.
Building on Science for All is Neighborhood Science. In the programme’s inaugural year, the Orlando Science Center has offered free STEM workshops to K-12 students from low-income households. “Neighborhood Science is a gamechanger for STEM inclusion and access, encouraging underrepresented students to actively engage and see themselves as future STEM professionals,” said one person who nominated Newman.
“This innovative program has gained national attention and support, winning competitive grant awards from NASA and the Office of Naval Research. This program would not have existed without JoAnn’s strong vision and commitment,” they added.