R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar: Fragile Legacies: The Ethics, Science, and Art of a Conservator

Dr. Nancy Odegaard is speaking at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Monday, April 12, 2027, from 12 PM to 1 PM. The talk is part of the R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar, the museum's speaker series for exploring nature, culture, and the future of life on Earth. It's sponsored by Highmark, and the museum's own research staff share the podium with invited guests to present their latest findings.

Odegaard frames a career in conservation through the dilemmas it confronts. She'll talk about the handling of human remains and their belongings, the detection and removal of toxic pesticides from museum objects, and the recovery and identification of stolen art. It's a look at the ethics, science, and art of the work, and the talk is held in the museum's Art Theater.

Conservation is a cross-disciplinary field, and Odegaard's work brings together colleagues from anthropology, classics, art history, historic preservation, chemistry, and materials science. The seminar brings together academic researchers, museum professionals, and other experts, and you can join either in person or online via Zoom.

Admission is free, and you don't need a museum ticket to attend. You do need to register, whether you're coming to the Art Theater at 4400 Forbes Avenue or tuning in via Zoom. The talk runs from 12 PM to 1 PM on Monday, April 12.