Two from UW–Madison appointed to National Museum and Library Services Board

An 11-member body that advises the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services now has two Badgers on board.

In an announcement from the White House on Aug. 12, President Biden named Amy Gilman, director of the Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Dipesh Navsaria, professor in the School of Human Ecology and of pediatrics in the School of Medicine and Public Health, as new members of the National Museum and Library Services Board.

According to the agency, the board advises the Institute of Museum and Library Services on “general policies” with respect to “its duties, powers and authority” as it relates to “museum, library and information services.” The board also helps select recipients of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service recipients.

Both Gilman and Navsaria will serve five-year terms.

Gilman, who has directed the Chazen Museum since 2017, came to UW–Madison from the Toledo Museum of Art. She earned a doctorate in art history at Case Western Reserve University and holds degrees in photography and performance studies. At the Chazen Museum, she has been instrumental in attracting high-profile and transformative exhibits, from Sanford Biggers’ and MASK Consortium’s re:mancipation, which addresses complex and difficult themes associated with works that glorify racism in the U.S., to Amanda McCavour’s Suspended Landscapes. She’s also helped UW–Madison secure funding support from the Mellon Foundation and other sources.

“It is an honor to be appointed to serve on the National Museum and Library Services board,” says Gilman. “I look forward to lending my expertise and perspective to the Institute of Museum and Library Services and am exceptionally grateful for the opportunity.”

Navsaria may be the only pediatrician who also holds a degree in children’s librarianship — he’s been known to write prescriptions for parents and children to share books. He has practiced primary care pediatrics in a variety of settings, focusing especially on underserved populations, and works regionally and nationally with Reach Out and Read and the American Academy of Pediatrics. He emphasizes the importance of pediatric literacy and the positive ways in which childhood and family environments can contribute to development and well-being, noting that “libraries and museums nourish the minds of children, adolescents, and adults throughout their lives.”

Navsaria adds: “One of the best ways to allow our nation’s children to flourish is to immerse them in environments that stimulate, engage, and delight. Parents and caregivers are the most important influences in that regard, but when we can offer families spaces and people to support and encourage that role, it’s more likely to happen … I’m thrilled to play some part in the guidance and stewardship of these extraordinary and essential institutions.”