James M. Bryant

As a museum professional I have broad experience in all the research and interpretive functions of museums. I have worked with trustees on long-range planning, grant writing and fund raising in addition to having been responsible for the day-to-day operations of education departments, public programs, museum shop sales, volunteer programs, publications, exhibits construction, collections management, financial management, personnel management, building maintenance and security. I have experience working with research and curatorial staff at larger institutions and I have participated on program development teams charged with planning major exhibitions and public programs. I have written exhibit scripts and produced educational audio-visual presentations. I have coordinated cooperative efforts in science education and teacher training involving participants from school districts, colleges and other museums and cultural facilities. I have training in field collecting, specimen preparation and taxidermy. I have worked with private, public, state and federal agencies as well as with the community at large to provide maximum access to museum resources. I have contributed illustrations, photographs and logo designs to museum publications. I have trained docents and coordinated docent activities. I am an active supporter of museums and museum interests, both on a local and a national level, and I am listed as a Surveyor/Peer Reviewer for the AAM Museum Assessment Program and the IMLS General Operating Support grant program. I served four years as newsletter editor for the Small Museums Administrators’ Committee (a standing professional committee of the AAM). I have presented papers and chaired sessions at annual meetings of the AAM and the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections. I served as a member of the steering committee for the creation of the Slate Valley Museum (Granville, NY), for which I drafted the constitution, by-laws and petition for provisional incorporation.
As a science teacher I have been employed in private secondary schools, working with student populations ranging from the gifted and talented to the learning and emotionally disabled. I possess expertise in developing innovative science curricula incorporating my own text and visual aids. I have perfected methods of incorporating field trips to local museums, zoos and aquaria into classroom instruction techniques. During my full-time teaching, some of my students exhibited improvement of over five grade levels within a single standardized testing period.
As a consultant I have worked with institutions having needs ranging from exhibit design and construction to comprehensive planning. I have produced educational literature and multi-media audio-visual presentations for museum audiences. I have conducted in-service teacher training and have written and illustrated science articles for newsletters and magazines circulated to the lay public.
As a field naturalist I continue to pursue scientific studies. I have contributed papers to professional conferences on subjects such as Geographic Information Systems Analysis of data drawn from natural history specimens and the recovery of data from historic collections. I have observed in detail the biology and geology of both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, the states of California, Texas, New York and Minnesota, the Galapagos Archipelago and the Belize Barrier Reef. I have also participated in organized paleontological excavations.