AMNH to confer doctoral degrees

For nearly a century, graduate students have conducted doctoral research at the American Museum of Natural History, but always for a degree at another institution. Until now. The American Museum of Natural History is now the first--and only--American museum to grant its own Ph.D. degree. Under authorization by the New York State Board of Regents, candidates for a doctorate in comparative biology will study and work within the Museum's unparalleled collections and laboratories in the newly established Richard Gilder Graduate School, with its faculty drawn from an internationally recognized staff of curators.

"The Gilder Graduate School, capitalizing on the Museum's unique and unrivaled combination of scientific leadership, world-renowned collections, and active program of field re search, will train the next generation of scientists to investigate many of the most pressing issues confronting society in the 21st century," said AMNH President Ellen V. Futter.

The new Ph.D. candidates will work in some of the most advanced scientific facilities in the world. Located within the Museum are three molecular laboratories, a powerful parallel computing facility, a frozen tissue collection with a capacity of one million samples, an imaging and microscopy laboratory, more than 30 million specimens and cultural artifacts, and the largest independent natural history library in the Western Hemisphere.

The American Museum of Natural History has long been known for its comprehensive approach to biological studies. Michael J. Novacek, Provost, Senior Vice President, and Curator in the Museum's Division of Paleontology predicted, "Profound biological discoveries will come from examination of myriad species. Here, we link emerging information on genes, form, and species diversity in a way that powerfully informs our understanding of the evolution of life."

The first class of the Gilder Graduate School, a select group of 8 to 10 students, is scheduled to arrive in September 2008.

Four donors have, combined, given more than $50 million to support the new graduate school in endowment, fellowship support, and capital enhancements required to accommodate the new Graduate School: the Gilder Foundation, the Hess Foundation, Inc., an anonymous Museum Trustee, and the City of New York--the Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York City Council.

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