Volunteer Profile

Written by Kelly Bryant, Volunteer Program Assistant Intern

Dr. Sumner Richman

Volunteering at the Science Museum always was as natural for Dr. Sumner Richman as his decades of work as an aquatic biologist. Growing up near Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Richman always held an interest in the ocean. Completing his undergraduate degree in biology at Hartwick College in upstate New York, Richman later earned his Master's at the University of Massachusetts and his Doctorate at the University of Michigan, in aquatic ecology. He taught aquatic ecology for forty years at Lawrence University, where he also developed a marine biology program, taking students to the Cayman Islands to study coral reef ecology. His work as a scientist took him all over the globe, with memorable time spent as a visiting professor at Tel Aviv University in Israel, where he did research on coral reef energetics.

What interests Richman the most about volunteering at the Science Museum of Minnesota is the Human Body Gallery, where he got the opportunity to work in the Cell Lab. Richman says that working in the Cell Lab is a "natural way to introduce and engage kids, family and visitors to biological principles." Along with the Cell Lab, the Viking, Body Worlds, and Water exhibits have been some of Richman's favorite exhibits. When Richman worked in the Body Worlds exhibit, he was impressed with how people reacted to the different brain slices that had been affected by diseases such as multiple sclerosis, brain tumor, Parkinson's, and strokes. "I was impressed by the special reverence that people had for the human form. People got to learn about themselves as well as those in their family who had gone through these diseases," reflected Richman. He also enjoyed the Vikings exhibit because "so many people have Norwegian heritage, and the exhibit engaged them in their heritage and that was rewarding to witness," Richman said.

The positive experiences that Richman has been a part of at the museum, and the diverse backgrounds of the volunteers are what keep him returning to volunteer. One of his most memorable experiences was with a young girl named Hannah, who, in fourth grade at the time, came to visit the Cell Lab with her father. She asked if she could tell Richman about her science project. Hannah, who lived near Lake Como, was conducting an experiment by placing ice, water, and soil samples on bacterial plates to see what would grow on the plates. Hannah's project was familiar to what Richman had done in the past, and he knew that he would be able to help her. Richman invited her and her father over to his house. After he helped her with the experiment, Hannah looked at him and simply said, "I hope I'll do this when I grow up." "You never know when you make an impact on someone's life," Richman commented.

Three years later, an article in the Pioneer Press about a Girl Scout troop who was testifying at the State Legislature against anti-bacterial household products caught his eye. The article discussed how the troop expanded on an experiment in the Cell Lab at the museum, and Hannah was among those girls working on the project. The knowledge that Richman had contributed to cultivating this young person's intellect, curiosity and passion for science is the epitome of what keeps him coming back.