According to the Office of the Governor on Friday afternoon, Bruce Rauner has appointed Brian Anderson to the Illinois State Museum Board. Anderson has more than 35 years of experience in natural resources preservation and analysis, which will bring an important perspective to the board. He previously oversaw the Illinois State Museum in his role at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

He is currently the Deputy Executive Director of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois, where he oversees strategic planning and coordinates programs across the five Illinois scientific surveys. Previously, he was the Director of Institutional Improvement at Lincoln Land Community College where he coordinated accreditation compliance, strategic planning and institutional research. Anderson also worked for the IDNR for nearly twenty years in a number of roles, and left the agency as the Director of the Office of Resource Conservation.

Anderson earned his bachelor’s degree at Kalamazoo College, his master’s degree from DePauw University and his Ph.D. in biology from the University of Louisville. He resides in Rochester.