Kristi Curry Rogers
I've been an SVP member since 1993, when I attended my first meeting as a 19-year-old college sophomore. Since then, I've served on the Education and Outreach Committee (1999-2009), the Skinner Prize Committee (2001-present), the Program Committee (2001-2013), and I chaired the Host Committee in 2003 (I am currently serving on the Host Committee for the 2024 meeting). Additionally, I was a member, and eventually chaired the Media Liaisons Committee (2003-2009), and I was elected to the Executive Committee as a Member-at-Large (2009). I've also served as an Associate Editor of Paleobiology, currently sit on the Jurassic Foundation Board, and I am a member of the Paleo Society, GSA, and SICB. Being nominated for the role of SVP President is an honor, and if elected, I will enthusiastically embrace the role.
I earned a B.S. in Biology from Montana State University and my M.S. and Ph.D. in Anatomical Sciences from Stony Brook University. I began my career as the Curator of Paleontology at the Science Museum of Minnesota (2002-2007). I transitioned to a tenure track position at Macalester College (2008), where I am DeWitt Wallace Professor of Biology and Geology. My research spans field exploration, collections-based study, and laboratory analysis, with a focus on several related topics: (1) the anatomy, evolution, and biology of sauropods, especially titanosaurs; (2) bone histology as a proxy for investigating growth dynamics in vertebrates; and (3) the nature of vertebrate microfossil bonebeds and implications for understanding diversity in the record.
In my administrative capacity at the College, I’ve chaired the Biology Department (2019-2022). I’ve also served on various committees, including as an elected representative of the Natural Sciences and Math Division on both the Faculty Personnel Committee (2016-2019), which makes tenure/promotion decisions, and on the Faculty Advisory Council (2023-present), which facilitates communication between the senior leadership team and faculty/staff.
Throughout my career I’ve been committed to actions that contribute to transforming institutes of higher education, including museums and other public spaces, for improved equity and belonging for Black, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+ and other minoritized groups. I will continue to work to expand the envelope of belonging in SVP. We’re headed in the right direction, with new initiatives and programs like the SVP Futures Award, the Jon C. Graff International Paleontology Award, and Institutional Memberships. These programs help to make participation in SVP a possibility for colleagues and students from underrepresented groups and from developing economies. But we still have work to do. We’ve only just begun to come to terms the fact that our paleontological research is fundamentally colonialist, particularly in the global south and on indigenous lands. I’m committed to working on tangible solutions in collaboration with our global partners and Native/Indigenous/First Nations stakeholders, including addressing systemic biases and barriers in our field associated with race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. Paleontological discoveries yield the same awe and excitement, no matter where we come from or who we are. We should employ this common “language” as a gateway that can inspire scientific curiosity, everywhere, for everyone. I support efforts to globalize the annual meeting, including to areas where English is not the native language. Our work will require mobilization of our collective energy, our cooperative spirits, and our visibility/outreach skills. I’m up for the challenge and excited to collaborate with the SVP member community, near and far.