Department Press Briefing – March 2, 2021
Ned Price, Department Spokesperson Washington, D.C. 2:46 p.m. EST MR PRICE: Good afternoon. A few things at the top. Yesterday, the department submitted to Congress and publicly released the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, or INCSR. The INCSR is the…
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci Donates Pandemic-Related Object to the Smithsonian
Physician-scientist Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health, has donated his personal 3D model of the SARS-CoV-2 virion to the national medicine and science collections at the…
Smithsonian Names Ellen Stofan Under Secretary for Science and Research
Ellen Stofan, director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, has been named the Smithsonian’s Under Secretary for Science and Research, effective March 14. In this role, Stofan will lead the Institution’s collective scientific efforts and commitment to research….
Secretary Mayorkas Visits FEMA COVID-19 Vaccination Facility in Philadelphia
On March 2, 2021, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visited operations at the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) new Community Vaccination Center (CVC) facility at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, scheduled to open tomorrow and expected to vaccinate up…
Smithsonian Community Engagement Project on Implicit Bias Launches Tour at the Science Museum of Minnesota
The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) announced today, March 2, the launch of the four-year, 40-city tour of “The Bias Inside Us.” The community engagement project will raise awareness about the social science and psychology of implicit bias, the…
Smithsonian “FUTURES” To Host Public Debut of Virgin Hyperloop’s Milestone ‘Pegasus’ Pod
This 670 mph hyper-speed pod is the first leap forward in mass public transportation in a century, a next-gen mass transit system that has long been a staple of science fiction. In late 2020, Virgin Hyperloop made it one step…
Stressed-Out Young Oysters May Grow Less Meat On Their Shells
Early exposure to tough conditions—particularly warmer waters and nightly swings of low oxygen—could leave lasting scars on oysters’ ability to grow meaty tissue. A team of biologists at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) reported the discovery in a new…
Smithsonian Presents ‘Great Americans’ Medal to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will present its Great Americans medal—the museum’s signature honor—to internationally recognized physician-scientist Dr. Anthony S. Fauci March 2. The medal presentation is part of the “Great Americans Award Program.” During the ceremony, Fauci,…
Smithsonian Partners With Iraqi Authorities and International Heritage Consortium To Rehabilitate Mosul Museum
The building and collection of Iraq’s Mosul Cultural Museum suffered tremendous damage at the hands of the Islamic State group. Now, the museum is gradually being brought back to life through a unique international partnership between the Smithsonian Institution, the…
Smithsonian Open Access at One Year: What Have People Created?
Today, Feb. 25, marks one year since the launch of Smithsonian Open Access, an initiative that removed Smithsonian copyright restrictions from millions of its digital collection images and nearly two centuries of data. Since then, creatives, researchers and collaborators around…
Smithsonian Folklife Festival Presents “The Peace Corps at 60 and Beyond: A Towering Task Film Screening & Panel Discussion”
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival presents The Peace Corps at 60 and Beyond: A Towering Task Screening & Panel Discussion Thursday, March 4. The panel discussion will envision the Peace Corps’ next chapter in a lively conversation featuring several prominent Returned…
National Museum of African American History and Culture Presents Its First Virtual Symposium “Making African America”
From “Dreamers” and the Muslim ban to the Harlem Renaissance and transatlantic Slave trade, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture’s first virtual symposium will explore many topics related to black immigrants and black migration in the…
Smithsonian’s ‘Craft Optimism’ Opens April 24
Craft Optimism, a curated contemporary craft show and online marketplace, opens April 24 and runs through May 1. Sponsored by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee (SWC) and Honoring the Future, a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia. Craft Optimism celebrates creative ideas…
National Air and Space Museum Receives $10 Million Gift From Kislak Family Foundation
The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has received $10 million from the Kislak Family Foundation to support the creation of the new “World War II in the Air” exhibition. Construction on the gallery is scheduled to begin in 2022…
Smithsonian To Debut Groundbreaking ‘FUTURES’ Exhibition for Its 175th Anniversary
The historic Arts and Industries Building (AIB), America’s first National Museum, will temporarily reopen in November for the first time in nearly two decades for the debut exhibition “FUTURES,” the Smithsonian’s first major building-wide exploration of the future. This groundbreaking…
