The good Cornellians can do: Eric Rosario ’91

Eric Rosario ’91 explains that for locals, the Ithaca Sciencenter is a source of pride. He says that the center started as a volunteer-driven elementary school science program, which has now grown into a nationally recognized science museum. Each year, the museum welcomes more than 100,000 in-person visitors, and its outreach programs and traveling exhibits reach an audience of 1.5 million people.

In fall 2019, fellow alum Laurie Robinson ’77 asked Eric if he would be willing to volunteer to serve on the center’s board. Eric enthusiastically accepted. He now serves as chair and chief champion for the center’s mission.

“One of the most significant societal challenges we face today is the increasing blurring of fact and fiction,” Eric says. “Which is why the Sciencenter's mission of cultivating curious, confident, and critical thinkers is so important to me, and why I chose to serve as a trustee.”

Eric recently oversaw the successful reaccreditation of the Sciencenter by the American Alliance of Museums. This peer-based validation of the center’s work is especially important now, given recent changes in the federal funding landscape.

“This reaccreditation sets an exciting stage for our future,” Eric says, “as we prepare to navigate the headwinds from cutbacks in federal funding.”

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