Scott Schaefer, staff member at Weis Earth Science Museum (WESM) on the Fox Cities campus of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, is moving to interim director with the Oct. 21 departure of Joseph Frederickson.
Scott Schaefer
Schaefer has served as the collections manager for WESM since 2021 and is familiar with strategies and operations of the museum, according to Martin Rudd, assistant chancellor for access campuses, who made the announcement Monday.
Rudd said Schaefer and Frederickson published research together and Schaefer taught at UW-Milwaukee where he holds a master’s degree in geosciences. Schaefer has given dozens of public lectures and worked at various museums prior to coming to UWO Fox Cities, Rudd added.
Frederickson, who joined the Weis staff in mid-2019, has accepted a role as lead paleontologist and manager of natural science collections at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
Rudd said Frederickson made significant advances with his staff in managing the collections of the WESM, oversaw the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the museum, led the museum through its closure during COVID-19 and subsequent strengthening of auxiliary operations through field trips and new exhibitions for the public and revitalizing relationships with donors.
WESM is the official mineralogical museum of Wisconsin.
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