Prime Minister Theresa May has reappointed Professor Ludmilla Jordanova to the Board of the Science Museum Group for an extraordinary third term running from August 1 2019 to July 31 2021.
The decision to invite Professor Jordanova to serve a third term reflects the important role she is playing as chair of the advisory board of Locomotion in Shildon, County Durham. The museum was recently fully integrated into the Science Museum Group, having previously been run in partnership with Durham County Council.
Professor Jordanova’s shorter two-year third term will ensure there is continuity in the leadership and governance arrangements for Locomotion during a period of transition.
A pre-eminent historian of science and medicine, Professor Jordanova has served as President of the British Society for the History of Science (1998-2000) and of the History of Science Section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science (2006). She was Director of the University of Cambridge Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (2003-05) and is now based at the University of Durham.
Earlier this year, Locomotion reached a significant milestone, welcoming its 2,500,000th visitor, and the museum saw visitor numbers increase by 200 percent following the arrival of Tim Peake’s spacecraft—part of a tour organised by the Science Museum Group.
Locomotion was first opened in 2004 with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Durham County Council and the European Regional Development Fund, and was originally called Locomotion, the National Railway Museum at Shildon.
Last December, the museum officially became part of the Science Museum Group and was formally named Locomotion to mark the start of its transformation, accompanied by an immediate commitment by the Science Museum Group Board and Council to jointly fund long-overdue repair work to the important historic buildings on the site.
The appointment was welcomed by Dame Mary Archer, Chairman of the Board of the Science Museum Group. Dame Mary said:
“Ludmilla has added greatly to the collective wisdom of the Board over her two terms as a trustee and has been a steadfast advocate for our Locomotion museum. We are hugely fortunate that she has agreed to stay on and to chair the Locomotion Advisory Board during this important period for the museum.”
The Science Museum Group welcomes more than 5.5 million visitors a year to its five museums: the Science Museum in London, the National Railway Museum in York; Locomotion in Shildon, the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Simon Baylis
simon.baylis@railwaymuseum.org.uk
01904 686 299
NOTES TO EDITORS
Locomotion offers visitors the chance to see highlights of the national collection of railway vehicles in Shildon, the world’s first railway town.
Locomotion forms part of the Science Museum Group, along with the Science Museum in London, the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford and the National Railway Museum in York.
Locomotion is a partnership between the Science Museum Group and Durham County Council, which is a major funder of the museum.
Admission to Locomotion is free.
For more information visit www.locomotion.org.uk
Trustees are appointed by the Prime Minister following a public appointments process administered by DCMS and overseen by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
The decision to extend Professor Jordanova’s term is contrary to usual practice for public appointments, with such roles usually restricted to a maximum of two four-year terms. As such the appointment has also been reviewed by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
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