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Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation
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4 people at ribbon cutting ceremony

The Lemelson Center's first dedicated office suite opened with a ribbon cutting in 1996 by (left to right) Spencer Crew, then director of the museum; Dorothy Lemelson; Jerome Lemelson; and Art Molella, founding director of the center. © Smithsonian Institution

About the Lemelson Center

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Vision:

We envision a world in which everyone is inventive and inspired to contribute to innovation.

Mission:

The Lemelson Center engages, educates, and empowers the public to participate in technological, economic, and social change. We undertake historical research, develop educational initiatives, create exhibitions, and host public programming to advance new perspectives on invention and innovation and to foster interactions between the public and inventors.


Invention is an innate human activity. It is practiced across cultures, throughout time, and around the world. The Smithsonian's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, located at the National Museum of American History, explores the role of invention and innovation in the United States, particularly its historical context, and how that history relates to current events. 

The Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center has led the study of invention and innovation at the Smithsonian since 1995, empowering the public to solve problems, navigate challenges, and effect real change in their lives and communities. Lemelson Center activities draw on the Smithsonian's vast collections of artifacts and archival materials, advance scholarship on the history of invention, share stories about inventors and their work, and nurture creativity in young people. The Center embodies a philosophy akin to that of the inventors we study, of valuing creativity and embracing the potential rewards of intellectual risk-taking.

Through our presence in the Museum and our online and outreach programs, the Center aspires to be the nation’s leading resource for the history of invention and innovation. The Center continues to bring together the public, historians, museum professionals, and inventors to foster a better understanding of the role of invention in American history through exhibitions and programs; to advance the field of invention scholarship through internship, fellowship, and documentation programs; and to support a new generation of innovative Americans through invention education activities, both on and off the National Mall.

Our Team:

Jerome Lemelson

Founder

Dorothy Lemelson

Founder

Lemelson Center Advisory Board

Lemelson Center Distinguished Research Scholars

Jeffrey Brodie

Acting Director
brodiej@si.edu
LinkedIn
brodiej@si.edu

Arthur Molella

Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Director Emeritus
molellaa@si.edu
LinkedIn
molellaa@si.edu

Joyce Bedi

Senior Historian Emerita and Lead Editor, Lemelson Center Studies book series
bedij@si.edu
bedij@si.edu

Nyssa Buning

Spark!Lab National Network Coordinator
buningn@si.edu
buningn@si.edu

Emma Grahn

Programs and Interpretation Manager
grahne@si.edu
grahne@si.edu

Laura Havel

Communications Manager
havell@si.edu
LinkedIn
havell@si.edu

Kaye Hawkins

Finance and Administration Officer
hawkinska@si.edu
hawkinska@si.edu

Eric S. Hintz

Historian, Fellowship Coordinator, and Co-Editor, Lemelson Center Studies book series
hintze@si.edu
LinkedIn
Twitter
hintze@si.edu

Meg Maher

Project Curator
maherm@si.edu
maherm@si.edu

Alison Oswald

Archivist and Travel to Collections Coordinator
oswalda@si.edu
oswalda@si.edu

Tim Pula

Interpretive Exhibits Inventor
pulat@si.edu
pulat@si.edu

Kristen Sheldon

Spark!Lab Floor Manager
sheldonk@si.edu
sheldonk@si.edu

Monica M. Smith

Acting Deputy Director
smithmo@si.edu
LinkedIn
smithmo@si.edu

Liz Brodie

Spark!Lab Facilitator
BrodieA@si.edu
BrodieA@si.edu

Lily Hsu

Spark!Lab Facilitator
HsuM@si.edu
HsuM@si.edu
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2020 Lemelson Center Activities Report 2019 Lemelson Center Activities Report 2018 Lemelson Center Activities Report 2017 Lemelson Center Activities Report Lemelson-Center-Strategic-Plan-2016-2020.pdf

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