Discovery Museum Welcomes Two New Board Members

Acton, MA – Discovery Museum is pleased to welcome Umair Zia and Vibha Oza to its Board of Directors.

Umair Zia is Director of Electric Distribution Engineering for Eversource Energy. Prior to moving to Massachusetts to join Eversource, he held various positions in operations and engineering at the Potomac Electric Power Company in Washington, D.C., most recently as Manager of Underground Maintenance and Construction. While in D.C., Umair was a Board Member with Arts on the Block, a nonprofit that supports creative youth to learn about the intersection of art, design and business by engaging them in real-world art projects.

Umair earned a Master’s degree in Systems Engineering, a graduate certificate in Mechanical Engineering, and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, all from the University of Maryland, College Park. Umair lives with his family in Shrewsbury.

Vibha Oza holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Medicinal Chemistry. She has had a 20-year career in the pharmaceutical industry focusing mainly on Oncology Research and Development where she worked on the discovery and development of novel therapies for patients.

Vibha’s passion for Science and mentoring future young scientists has been instrumental in her involvement in designing and executing experiments to ignite curiosity in children while continuing to pursue her career goals in Oncology therapeutics.

Vibha has also been actively involved in fund raising for non-profit organizations focused on empowering women with young children in difficult life circumstances, including Project Munchkins and House of Hope.

Vibha and her husband, Prakash, live in Acton with their children Anjali and Adi and an aussie-doodle dog named Merlin. The family enjoys going on hikes with their dog and spending a lot of time outdoors as well as cooking and playing piano.

“We are happy to add Vibha and Umair to our Board at this critical time in the Museum’s history,” said Harry Hollenberg, Board Chair. “Vibha and Umair each bring skills and experience that will inform our work as we steer the Museum through the challenges of the global pandemic. The Museum staff has shown great flexibility and creativity in developing new learning opportunities to support kids and their families and teachers in these unprecedented times. With the support of Vibha and Umair, the Board will look build upon that momentum to expand the Museum’s impact through and beyond the COVID crisis.”

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About Discovery Museum

Discovery Museum is a hands-on museum that blends science, nature, and play, inspiring families to explore and learn together. The museum and its Discovery Woods accessible outdoor nature playscape and 550sf treehouse blend the best of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) learning on a beautiful 4.5-acre campus abutting 180 acres of conservation land in Acton, MA, about 20 miles west of Boston. Originally founded in 1982 and expanded to two museums in 1987, the museum reopened in a single, 16,000sf accessible building after a complete renovation and expansion in early 2018. Hands-on, open-ended exhibits developed by professional educators inspire curiosity and exploration, providing a fun and engaging experience for children and adults to discover their world together. Serving families and schools from towns throughout the region, the museum is devoted to informal education that enhances classroom learning. Discovery Museum is committed to accessibility and is a proud recipient of the 2017 Massachusetts Commonwealth Award, the only winner in the Access category, and a 2018 LEAD® Community Asset Award from The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information please visit www.discoveryacton.org. Discovery Museum is a community-supported non-profit organization.

Discovery Museum programming is supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

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