Saint Louis Science Center Announces Next President and CEO

Dr. Ray Vandiver will take the helm on February 28, 2025

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Saint Louis Science Center's Board of Commissioners announced today that Dr. Ray Vandiver will succeed Todd Bastean as President and CEO of the organization. With more than three decades of experience leading science centers and museums, Vandiver joins the Science Center from the Discovery Lab in Tulsa, OK, where he served as the founding Executive Director for over 12 years. Vandiver will assume leadership of the Science Center on February 28, 2025.

"We are thrilled to bring an executive of Ray's stature to the Science Center," said Dr. Mark Wrighton, chairman of the Science Center's Board of Commissioners and chairman of the CEO search committee. "Not only is he a strong leader with well-versed knowledge of STEM, informal learning and leading science centers and museums, but he also is returning to his roots, as he was born and raised in St. Louis and holds a B.A. in physics from Saint Louis University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in physics from Missouri University of Science and Technology."

Vandiver will lead the Science Center's team of nearly 160 team members as they work to execute the organization's strategic plan for the future and deliver the organization's mission "to inspire everyone to be curious and engaged in science" to the region.

"Leading the Saint Louis Science Center is particularly meaningful to me, as it allows me to return to my hometown – a city that shaped both my personal and professional life," said Vandiver. "I spent my formative years immersed in the unique culture and community of this city, and I am elated to lead this prized educational institution that inspires everyone to be curious and engaged in science."

Prior to serving as the Executive Director and CEO of the Discovery Lab, Vandiver was Vice President of the Center for Learning Experience at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), and served as founding executive director of the Bootheel Youth Museum in Malden, MO.

Vandiver is succeeding President and CEO Todd Bastean, who is retiring after more than five years of dedicated service to the Science Center.

Bastean said, "I am honored to have served the Science Center and the community in these last five years, and I know Ray will be a great leader for the team and collectively they will accomplish wonderful things together in the future."

About the Saint Louis Science Center

The mission of the Saint Louis Science Center is to inspire everyone to be curious and engaged in science. Named a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate in 2016, the award-winning Science Center engages guests through on-site experiences, including hundreds of hands-on exhibits, the OMNIMAX® Theater and the James S. McDonnell Planetarium. For more information on the Saint Louis Science Center, visit slsc.org or call (314) 289-4400.

Contact: Mindy Peirce
314.546.8542
[email protected]

SOURCE St. Louis Science Center