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Catherine Olmer Legacy Endowment (WonderLab) Fund
“The one thing I’ve done that has had the most impact on me, on others, on the community is WonderLab. So, I look at that as something that is going to affect millions and millions of children and schools and families, and I'm really happy about that.” – Cathy Olmer
This endowment was created to honor and continue the legacy of Catherine Olmer, a professor of physics and founding director of Bloomington’s WonderLab Museum. Cathy has impacted so many people in the Bloomington community for over 25 years by being a steward of science, a founder of WonderLab, and a leader inspiring lifelong learning for people of all ages.
Cathy became fascinated by science during her childhood and gravitated toward the field of physics as an undergraduate at Boston University, and later earned her doctorate at Yale University. She continued research in newly developing areas of nuclear physics and became a faculty member of the Indiana University Physics Department in 1979.
In 1995, Cathy joined forces with Deborah Kent and others to explore the possibility of creating a science museum not only for children, but for people of all ages to experience the wonder and excitement of science. This dream became the reality that is WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology – which first opened in 1998 in an interim space and then moved to a dedicated building in downtown Bloomington in 2003. Cathy served as executive director of the museum until 2017, at which point she “stepped down” into the role of chief financial officer, a role she filled until her death.
“WonderLab started because individuals in the community recognized the importance of a place where they could bring their children to experience the wonders of science, and they thought that Bloomington was large enough that they should not have to go to big cities. They should have a place right here in town that would help to keep a very high quality of life for Bloomington, Indiana and Monroe County.” – Cathy Olmer
Outside of the museum, Cathy represented a strong woman who achieved monumental success in a male-dominated field. A few of Cathy’s many achievements are the Herman B Wells Lifetime Achievement Award (2004), the Distinguished Service Award (2005), and the George W. Pinnell Award for Outstanding Service (2006) before her retirement from Indiana University in 2012. In the community, she received the Phenomenal Women of Bloomington award (1997), the Women in Technology award (2000), and was honored as the Bloomington Woman of the Year (2002). She spoke openly of her journey as a woman in science.
Cathy’s impact on the Bloomington Community is immeasurable. She was a trailblazer who turned an idea into a place for people of all ages to learn science in an interactive way. Please help WonderLab honor Cathy’s legacy so that the wonder of science can continue for the next 25 years!
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