Sean M. Decatur

Sean M. Decatur is President of the American Museum of Natural History, one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions, located in New York City. Since joining the Museum in April 2023, he has presided over the opening of the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation; has prioritized and accelerated the Museum’s work to address its challenging historical legacy, collecting practices, and cultural representation; and has become a spokesperson for the ways museums can redress past practices, include more diverse perspectives, and serve broader audiences.

Prior to joining the Museum, he served for nearly a decade as president of Kenyon College, during which Kenyon achieved significant gains in the strength and diversity of its student body, resources for financial aid, and the breadth and distinction of faculty; enhancements to the campus; and record enrollments despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to joining Kenyon College, Decatur was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Oberlin College, where he was also professor of chemistry and biochemistry. Previously, he was professor at Mount Holyoke College, where he helped establish a top research program in biophysical chemistry, and a visiting scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has won research grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and from private foundations, as well as authored numerous scholarly articles.

He serves on the Board of Managers of Swarthmore College and on the board of directors of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA), the Joyce Foundation, and New York City Tourism + Conventions. He has served on numerous advisory boards, including the Board on Life Sciences at the National Academy of Sciences, as chair of the Advisory Committee for the Center for the Advancement of Science Leadership and Culture at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and as chairman of the Codon Learning scientific advisory board.

Decatur earned his bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and his Ph.D. degree in biophysical chemistry from Stanford University.