SCIENCE091807

Science Museum to add hall of fame

In honor of Minnesota's rich pool of science all-stars, the Science Museum of Minnesota is creating a permanent hall of fame exhibit.

By Allie Shah, Star Tribune

Last update: September 17, 2007 - 9:12 PM

In honor of Minnesota's rich pool of science all-stars, the Science Museum of Minnesota is creating a permanent hall of fame exhibit.

The first class of the Minnesota Science and Technology Hall of Fame will include historical figures as well as contemporary scientists who have made significant contributions in their fields.

Every year, a selection panel will choose the inductees, whose photos and stories will be part of a permanent exhibit and displayed on the museum's website. The museum is teaming up with the Minnesota High Technology Association to form a selection panel.

Ecolab, based in St. Paul, is the founding sponsor of the hall.

Science Museum President Eric Jolly said the hall, created as part of the museum's 100th anniversary celebration, is a way of giving back to the community.

"I hope by telling these stories we'll inspire the next generation of scientists," he said. "We want to make science real, put a face on it."

Among the Minnesotans who will be considered for the hall are those who have won Nobel prizes, those who have become members of the National Academies of Science and those who have won the Minnesota High Technology Association's Lifetime Achievement Award.

"It's a very high bar," Jolly said. "Even with that high bar, Minnesota is among the leading places of creating scientists who have changed the world. There are just amazing things that have happened here."

Allie Shah • 651-298-1550

Allie Shah • ashah@startribune.com