New Director of the University of Oxford Museum of Natural History
Dr Gavin J. Svenson
The University of Oxford is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Gavin J. Svenson as the new Director of the Museum of Natural History. He will start in post in September 2025, succeeding Professor Paul Smith who retired in September 2024 after 13 years in the position. Dr Svenson will also become a Fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford.
Dr Svenson comes to the University of Oxford from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (Ohio, USA) where he was Curator of Invertebrate Zoology and, since 2022, Chief Science Officer. There, he was a driving force behind the museum’s $150 million transformation which, in 2024, opened an expanded 375,000 square foot building with new galleries and cutting-edge design. Dr Svenson managed the museum’s research and conservation staff, a collection of more than 5 million specimens, and 12,500 acres of protected land across Northeast Ohio.
As an entomologist, Dr Svenson is one of the world’s foremost experts on the praying mantis and his research has revealed new evolutionary patterns among these fascinating insects, prompting important changes in their traditional scientific classification. He earned his Ph.D. in Phylogenetics and Systematics from Brigham Young University, Utah, in 2007, after graduating with a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University, New York, in 2002. He completed his postdoctoral research at the New York State Museum in Albany.
Welcoming Dr Svenson’s appointment, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Professor Irene Tracey CBE, FRS, FMedSci, said:
‘I am so pleased Dr Svenson will join us in Oxford to lead the Museum of Natural History which welcomed more than 834,000 people through its doors last year – its highest ever visitor figure.
‘Gavin brings a wealth of experience in museum transformation, collections care, research and public programming, all of which will be hugely valuable as the museum continues in its mission to share understanding of the natural world with audiences across the globe.’
Richard Ovenden OBE, Head of the University of Oxford’s Gardens, Libraries and Museums, said:
‘We are delighted to welcome Dr Svenson as the new Director of the Museum of Natural History at the University of Oxford. Gavin has shown himself to be an inspiring, innovative and energetic leader in the world of natural history collections, and someone who understands the crucial link between museum collections, modern science, and the critical issues that face humanity, such as climate change and biodiversity.’
Baroness Katherine Willis CBE, Professor of Biodiversity, Oxford Department of Biology and Chair of the Museum of Natural History Board of Visitors, said:
‘I am looking forward to welcoming Dr Svenson to Oxford and working with him to develop the museum’s strategy in teaching, research and public engagement. The museum has a crucial role to play in the public understanding of the natural world at a time when the planet is faced with unprecedented environmental challenges. Gavin’s experience, leading scientific research and museum outreach in Cleveland, will be a great asset to us in Oxford.’
Responding to his appointment, Dr Svenson said:
‘I’m deeply honoured to serve such an esteemed museum of natural history and to help shape its future. It is both a profound responsibility and an incredible opportunity to connect the science of our natural world with the community and to demonstrate its enduring relevance and importance in our daily lives. We humans are part of nature, and natural history is part of our story: a story that encompasses the past, defines the present, and helps us understand the future.’
