Dr. Ellen Censky

About Dr. Ellen Censky

Ellen Censky, PhD has 49 years of museum experience, beginning her career at the Milwaukee Public Museum when she was a student. She spent her early career as a scientist at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History caring for collections and conducting scientific research, some of which was featured on the front page of the New York Times. She then became Director of the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, where she developed the BioBlitz into a nationwide program featured on National Geographic Television. She moved on to be Director of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History spearheading the Explorology Education program which won an IMLS National Medal Award. And finally, she moved back home to Milwaukee and is now President/CEO of the Milwaukee Public Museum, leading the effort to transform the 142-year-old institution into a 21st Century Museum.

Censky earned her Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee in 1979 and her doctorate in biological sciences from the University of Pittsburgh in 1994. She has published 3 books and 40 scientific papers.