Kenneth Lacovara
Founding Executive Director
Edelman Fossil Park & Museum
World-renowned palaeontologist, Dr. Kenneth Lacovara is the founding executive director of the Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park and Museum, which opened at Rowan University in New Jersey in March 2025.
This $75 million, 44,000 square foot carbon net-zero museum and research site has been designed as a transformative space for learning, discovery, and environmental awareness.
Located above an active research quarry where over 100,000 fossils from more than 100 species have been unearthed, the museum features fossil excavation, virtual reality journeys, captivating exhibits, and an interactive fossil hunt enhanced by RFID technology.
“More than a paleontology center, the museum is a model for sustainability, immersive storytelling, and community engagement,” says one person who nominated Lacovara.
“It reflects Dr. Lacovara’s belief that museums can be engines for climate action and STEM equity, grounded in awe and fueled by accessibility. His work has helped redefine what a natural history museum can be in the 21st century—interactive, inclusive, and boldly forward-thinking.”
Lacovara’s storied career has included the discovery of some of the largest dinosaurs ever to walk the Earth, including the super-massive Dreadnoughtus, which at 65 tons weighs more than seven T. Rex.
His work also encompasses cutting-edge technologies such as 3D imaging, 3D printing, robotics, and medical modelling techniques, helping to enhance public understanding of giant herbivorous dinosaurs.
Lacovara is a TED speaker and author of the TED Book, Why Dinosaurs Matter, which won a Nautilus Book Award. In 2019, he was presented with the Explorers Club Medal, the club’s highest honour. His strong interest in communicating science to the public has led to an involvement in numerous media projects, including over 20 television documentaries.
He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Colossal Biosciences, a CRISPR-based de-extinction company, the founder of the Green Jobs Academy, and founding dean emeritus of the School of Earth & Environment of Rowan University. Lacovara was awarded a PhD in Geology from the University of Delaware.
