His research on the Maya civilization has taken him into the depths of Mexico, but University Museum of Archeology and Anthropology Director Jeremy Sabloff won't have to go as far for his latest venture as head of the Smithsonian Science Commission.
Sabloff, who is also an anthropology professor, was appointed chairman of the newly-formed commission on Monday. The Smithsonian Institute's Board of Regents, its governing body, convened the 18-member blue-ribbon commission to "set a new strategic direction for Smithsonian science," and to guide the cultural powerhouse through some troubling times.
"I think what makes it tough is how to you strengthen a major institution when the constraints on the fiscal side are so difficult," Sabloff said.
As an archeologist, Sabloff will be joined by 17 other scientists from the United States and the United Kingdom with academic interests ranging from anthropology to zoology.
"I hope that the collective strength of the group will be able to take on the great diversity of the Smithsonian," he said.
In preparing the 155 year-old institution for another century, the Commission has been charged with answering such questions as finding the optimum balance of the Smithsonian's human, physical and financial resources, determining how to strengthen research and proposing how to make the institute's science better known to the public.
But politics have come into play too. Much tension has arisen during the 18-month tenure of Lawrence Small, the first non-academic to lead the Smithsonian. A former official with Citibank, some of his cost-cutting maneuvers have drawn ire among the institute's scientists.
The Commission is an attempt to assuage such differences.
"Small has managed, by his missteps, to create a lot of antipathy within this institution, which is unfortunate, but he has only himself to blame," said Douglas Erwin, a curator of the National Museum of Natural History who was also appointed to the commission.
However, the Commission, which will meet for the first time on September 6,will not have the power to implement any changes. Instead, they will make recommendations to the Regents and Small.
Sabloff said that despite its many objectives, the Commission will take the time to do the job right.
"It's not going to be something that'll be done quickly, but hopefully it won't take years," he said.
Despite being faced with such a challenge, Sabloff's colleagues at Penn did not seem surprised by his appointment.
"This confirms the high opinion that we had of him all along -- that he is a talented researcher and a gifted administrator," said Anthropology Department Chairman Gregory Urban. "He piles distinction upon distinction."
While a member of the several leading academic societies, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, Sabloff felt that this Smithsonian commission might bring the most back to Penn.
"It will give our museum greater national visibility, which is always a real plus, and hopefully I'll also be able to learn things that are applicable to the challenges that this museum is facing as well."
Urban noted that since taking over the University Museum, Sabloff has successfully raised funds and started construction on a new wing. But even more surprising, he said, was that Sabloff had continued to publish academic works that entire time.
"This is a man with extraordinary amounts of energy and skill," Urban said.
Hopefully he's correct, because another project Sabloff has planned for the fall might be the most difficult yet -- teaching a freshman seminar entitled "The Rise and Fall of Maya Civilization."
"I'll probably be sleeping less," Sabloff said.
