PIERRE, S.D. (DRG News) – The South Dakota Discovery Center Board of Directors has chosen Dr. Rhea Waldman to be the Center’s next executive director.

Waldman has been the education director for the Discovery Center, located in Pierre, since 2016. She’s been serving as interim executive director since the January departure of Kristi Maher, who is now the program site director for the Stanley County GOLD (Greater Opportunities for Learning and Development) Program.

Before moving to South Dakota, Waldman was a Curriculum Developer and Science Communication Instructor at Reiman Gardens in Ames, IA. She completed her PhD in Biology at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, and was a post-doctoral research associate at Brown University and Iowa State University.

Waldman says she’s excited for the chance to lead the South Dakota Discovery Center. She says she looks forward to building on the great programs implemented during Maher’s guidance over the past 20 years.

Board president Zach Parsons says they were impressed with the passion, knowledge and experience Waldman brought to her previous role and are excited to see where she helps take the Discovery Center in the future.