California Science Center Spokespeople
Jeffrey N Rudolph
President and CEO
California Science Center
Biography:
Jeffrey Rudolph is the President and CEO of the California Science Center and the President of the California Science Center Foundation. He provided the leadership for the planning, design, fundraising and implementation of the California Science Center Master Plan which transformed the California Museum of Science and Industry into the new California Science Center and created an award-winning Exposition Park Master Plan to guide the redevelopment of Exposition Park in central Los Angeles. Rudolph serves as a Fellow of the California Council on Science and Technology, and on the Executive Committee for Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board and the Los Angeles Tourism Marketing District. He is past chair of the Board of Association of Science & Technology Centers and past chair of the Board of American Alliance of Museums. Rudolph received an M.B.A. from Yale University and a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley.
Kenneth Phillips, PhD
Curator of Aerospace Science
SKETCH Foundation Air and Space Gallery
Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Pavilion
Biography:
Kenneth E. Phillips, PhD, has served as curator of aerospace science since 1990 and develops the California Science Center Foundation's programs and exhibits on aeronautics and space exploration. As curator, he is responsible for creating the vision that shapes these programs and leading the team in the process that includes concept and storyboard development; multiple phases of design; prototype development and testing; artifact acquisition; audiovisual production; exhibit fabrication and research on visitor learning.
Major projects include Phase III of the Science Center's 25-year Master Plan featuring the space shuttle Endeavour and the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center; the SKETCH Foundation Air and Space Gallery in Science Court; the Roy A. Anderson A-12 Blackbird Exhibit and Garden; and collaboration on development of the Creative World gallery.
He received his B.S. degree in Physics from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, an M.S. in General Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University in Environmental Engineering.
Perry Roth-Johnson, PhD
Curator of Science & Technology
SKETCH Foundation Air and Space Gallery
Samuel Oschin Pavilion Space Shuttle Endeavour
Biography:
Perry Roth-Johnson is an aerospace engineer and informal science educator. He joined the California Science Center in 2014. As a curator, he makes new exhibits and takes care of artifacts for the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, the future home of space shuttle Endeavour. He holds a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from UCLA and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley.
Liz Roth-Johnson, PhD
Curator of Life Sciences
World of Life Gallery
Biography:
Liz Roth-Johnson is a scientist turned science communicator with more than a decade of experience making complex scientific ideas accessible and compelling to broad audiences and is working on plans to update and renew the World of Life gallery. Prior to her tenure at the California Science Center which began in 2020, Liz created popular online food science content, reported science stories for KQED Science, consulted for the Autry Museum of the American West, and designed introductory biology courses for undergraduate students at UCLA.
Liz earned her PhD in Molecular Biology from UCLA and received her BA degrees in Molecular & Cell Biology and Music from UC Berkeley. In addition to her scientific expertise in molecular biology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Liz has a strong foundation in pedagogy and educational psychology from her postdoctoral work as a Discipline-Based Education Research Fellow in the UCLA Department of Life Science Core Education.
Georgina Diaz
Director of Guest Services and IMAX Operations
Bilingual - English and Spanish
Biography:
Georgina joined the Science Center in 2009, initially as volunteer manager where she increased the number of active participants in Living Collections and Air & Space programs. For the space shuttle Endeavour’s three-day transport through city streets, she recruited and managed over 600 volunteers who answered questions and interacted with literally millions of people who gathered to witness the move. In 2013, she was promoted to director of Guest Services and IMAX Operations where she oversees a staff of 120 and works to make sure guests have a seamless and inspiring experience.
Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Georgina’s family immigrated to the United States when she was one-year old. She graduated from Manual Arts High School in 1994 and in 1998 earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American Studies from Pomona College in Claremont.
