Education is at the heart of all that we do at the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Students at the Academy don’t just observe groundbreaking science — they contribute to it.

And as a donor, so do you.

In the coming year, hundreds of students from grade school to grad school will pass through our doors on a journey to understand the natural world and become inspired to protect it.

Your gift supports their journey.

Meet Our Students

Shanzay Asif came to Drexel University on a mission to give a voice to those most affected by climate change in her homeland and around the world. As the environmental scholar co-op (internships for Drexel undergraduates), Shanzay works on the public radio show Living on Earth.

Tobias Tagliaferro knew he discovered something important during his recent co-op in Malacology when he came across a tiny clam that was never identified. Since only one species in its group lives in the Atlantic Ocean, what was this mystery clam? After locating the living type specimen for comparison, it was clearly not a match. The unknown clam was, in fact, new to science. It’s a remarkable discovery for Malacology, especially for transgender scientists like Tobias, and the Academy couldn’t be prouder to celebrate.

Ornithologist Emily Griffith is a student in Drexel’s Ecology, Evolution and Earth Systems PhD program where she studies the differences in plumage between male and female ducks, to explain why male plumage is evolving to become duller. By sequencing the DNA of historical and modern duck specimens from the Academy’s Ornithology Collection, Emily hopes to understand what this means for the evolution of ducks and other birds. Then, as both a scientist and an artist, share that knowledge with the world.

The Malacology Department Imaging Center has developed several camera rigs for photographing extremely small objects in high resolution and true color. This summer, as Drexel co-ops Amarize Finley and Lindsey Livingston were cataloging the specimens of renowned Japanese molluscan scientist Kenji Ōhara, the two students found themselves officially ushering the Malacology Collection to the phenomenal half-million mark.

Your gift to the Academy of Natural Sciences this season will provide more opportunities for more students in 2025 and beyond.

Questions about making a gift? Please contact Amy Whisenhunt Eno, associate director of individual giving, at 215-299-1011 or eno@ansp.org.

Thank you for your support!