New Smithsonian Leader Plans to Carry Out Widespread Changes

The new chief executive of the Smithsonian hopes to curb the scandals that have plagued the institution as he faces the task of restoring faith in the organization and transforming its operations, reports The New York Times.

G. Wayne Clough, who previously served as president of the Georgia Institute of Technology, has undertaken measures to prevent future misconduct, the newspaper says. These days museum directors must have their travel plans approved by an undersecretary of the Smithsonian, the board holds four meetings a year instead of three, the inspector general reports directly to the board chairman instead of to the secretary, every new executive must have a background check, and ethics issues are frequently discussed by managers, the newspaper says.

Mr. Clough has resigned from three corporate boards he served on in order to avoid conflicts of interest. His salary of $490,000 is substantially less than his predecessor, Lawrence M. Small, who made $916,000 in 2007. Mr. Clough also pays his own rent and walks to work, whereas Mr. Small received a substantial housing allowance and had a chauffeur.

Mr. Clough is also seeking to raise more private money so the organization does not have to depend so much on government aid. The Smithsonian plans to conduct a fund-raising campaign next year.

Despite Mr. Clough’s efforts, criticism of the organization continues to get a high profile. Some critics say that the Smithsonian is compromising its mission by accepting research grants and donations from oil companies, reports The Washington Times.

Linda St. Thomas, a spokeswoman at the National Zoo, told the newspaper that the Smithsonian has nothing to hide and that oil companies have no control over scientific data.

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