Deborah Cowman, a former research scientist, said she has lofty goals for the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural Science.
Cowman, who took over April 1 as the museum's executive director, said she's trying to lay the groundwork for an expanded facility with an IMAX and planetarium facility, an adult lecture series and improved collaboration with other area museums and galleries.
The new director replaced Tom Lynch, who retired late last month after heading up the museum's operations for more than a decade. Cowman, who holds a doctorate degree in wildlife and fisheries sciences from Texas A&M University, previously worked as a research scientist for the Bush School's Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy.
"My heart is really in giving something back to the community," Cowman said. "I think the community is ready for a bigger museum, not to say the museum isn't a fine institution already. But I think that it could be even bigger and have more of a presence in the community."
To that end, Cowman said she intends to put feelers out to determine whether such an undertaking would garner broad community support.
The museum, founded in 1961 by the American Association of University Women, has moved its collections three times to gain needed space. It's now housed in a 9,400-square-foot facility inside the Brazos Center on Briarcrest Drive.
"We hope to update the museum and make it more relevant to people in the area," said museum board President Jan Fechhelm. "The way it's been in the past is a lot of people go there once, but they don't come back for another five or six years."
Cowman said the museum's membership, comprised of recurring visitors who pay an annual fee, currently stands at 300 -- a number she hopes to grow. Those funds help contribute to the museum's total estimated $200,000 annual operating budget.
The museum, like many entities dependent on federal funds and local support, has suffered financial woes in the past. In 1999 the museum was forced to scale back its children's educational programs and cut two full-time positions as its operating budget plummeted to $180,000.
If it were not for the museum's dedicated staff -- individuals who often do the job of two or three people -- the museum would not be able to stretch those dollars as much as it does, Cowman said.
"We're hoping we can grow and fulfill some of these ambitions that we have and serve the community at the same time."
As part of that effort, Cowman said the museum needs to bring back its adult lecture series and forge partnerships with Texas A&M University and the area's other museums and galleries.
Kathryn Vaughan, a museum board member, said she feels confident in Cowman's abilities.
"She is a brand new direction, really, for the museum," Vaughan said. "And she comes from a background of natural science and conservation. I think she will not only promote cultural history but will also promote the natural sciences with an eye to conservation."
Fechhelm described Cowman as a dynamic person and a visionary with important connections around the region.
In the years prior to working for the Bush School, Cowman was employed as a biologist with both the U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey and worked as a visiting scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She also has used her scientific expertise in previous work with the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the rare book and special collections department at Stanford University.
"My heart is really in giving something back to the community," Cowman said. "I think this is the best way that I can serve."
• Holli L. Estridge's e-mail address is holli.estridge@theeagle.com.
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