Barry A. Van Deman is an accomplished nonprofit executive who has led organizational change efforts, strategic planning, and growth in four museums. With a lifelong passion for science and science education, Barry applied his experience and expertise as CEO, grantmaker, author, consultant, teacher, board member, and volunteer. He held executive leadership roles in museums and in the federal government, as well as in teaching and school administration, K-12 and undergraduate and graduate levels. Most recently, Barry served as President and CEO of the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, North Carolina. Prior to moving to Durham, he headed the Informal Science Education and other funding programs at the National Science Foundation. Barry has held senior leadership positions in science museums in Chicago and Orlando, and early in his career taught elementary and secondary school science, and undergraduate and graduate science education; served in school administration, and authored science textbook series for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. He served as treasurer and board member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC); past vice president of the board of the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM); past president of the North Carolina Grassroots Science Museums Collaborative; and as Chair of the North Carolina Science Network (NCSN).

Currently, he serves as Senior Fellow at the Institute for Learning Innovation, Board Member on the Discover Durham Tourism Development Authority, and advisor to MuseumExpert.org.