Behind the Scenes at NHMU: Invertebrate Zoology Collections

NHMU's collections are home to nearly 2 million objects held in stewardship for the people of Utah. From massive fossils to tiny fungi, delicate pottery to thousands of preserved insects, the Museum's collections are a vast and growing record of natural history in Utah and beyond. With consideration for preservation and research, much of the collections are off limits to Museum guests — which means only a small fraction of the objects within our collection are available for public display. 

We’re always looking for ways to give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the exciting work and research happening at NHMU, which is why we’ve created mini collections tours for you to enjoy over your holiday break. 

Explore our Invertebrate Zoology Collections with the Sarah B. George Executive Director, Jason Cryan, Ph.D., as he discusses his passion for entomology. 

Meet Jason Cryan, Ph.D.

Dr. Jason Cryan NHMU

Jason Cryan, Ph.D., serves as the fourth executive director of the Natural History Museum of Utah. With its rich, 50-year history as the most important natural history museum in America’s Mountain West, NHMU occupies a stunning, award-winning building, the Rio Tinto Center, on the campus of the University of Utah. The museum serves the entire State of Utah with world-class exhibitions, educational programs, and offsite outreach initiatives.

Cryan's academic background includes degrees earned at the University of Vermont (B.A., Zoology) and at North Carolina State University (M.S. and Ph.D., Entomology). He spent two years as a post-doctoral researcher at Brigham Young University. Demonstrating his commitment to formal and nonformal education, Cryan has taught undergraduate courses on Evolution as well as immersive, teacher-training courses on tropical ecology in Central America; he remains active in public outreach and science education, and is the past-President of the Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity Section of the Entomological Society of America (ESA). He was selected as a Science Policy Fellow for the ESA and maintains a strong interest in science advocacy. Cryan currently serves on the Board of Directors for the US national committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM-US) and is a member of the Racial Equity and Social Justice Task Force of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC).