(ITHACA, NY - June 8, 2022) The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) is celebrating its 90th anniversary starting in June 2022, with a series of events throughout 2022 and 2023. In addition to PRI’s anniversary, the events will also recognize the 10th anniversary of PRI’s merger with the Cayuga Nature Center (2023) as well as the 20th anniversary of the Museum of the Earth opening (2023).

“We decided to extend PRI’s 90th anniversary celebration over 2 years to include the anniversaries of the Cayuga Nature Center and the Museum of the Earth as well,” says Amanda Schmitt Piha, Associate Director of Philanthropy and Communications at PRI. “Both venues have been essential to work towards our mission, and we are excited to continue serving our local community through these venues and more.” 

The 18 month-long celebration will include new public events, exhibits and projects, as well as the return of annual PRI events that have been on hiatus due to the pandemic. The celebration will kick off with the long-awaited reopening of the Cayuga Nature Center Lodge on June 18, 2022. 

2022 also marks the 30th year of service for PRI’s Director Warren Allmon. “We are immensely grateful and  thrilled to celebrate 90 years of scientific and educational impact,” says Allmon, who has led an extraordinary expansion of PRI’s mission, staff, and facilities, as well as a closer relationship with Cornell University, since his arrival as the Institution’s fourth Director in August 1992.

Founded in 1932, PRI has developed programs in research, collections, publications, and public education. PRI cares for a collection of more than seven million specimens (one of the ten largest paleontological collections in the U.S.), and publishes Bulletins of American Paleontology, the oldest paleontological journal in the Western Hemisphere, begun in 1895. PRI also creates informal (i.e., outside the classroom) Earth science education resources for educators and the general public.

Check for the latest events and updates on the 90th anniversary page: https://www.priweb.org/event/celebrate90 

About the Paleontological Research Institution

The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) pursues and integrates education and research, and interprets the history and systems of the Earth and its life, to increase knowledge, educate society, and encourage wise stewardship of the Earth. PRI and its two public venues for education, the Museum of the Earth and the Cayuga Nature Center, are separate from, but formally affiliated with Cornell University, and interact closely with numerous University departments in research, teaching, and public outreach. To learn more, visit priweb.org and follow on social media:Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Youtube.