GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Museum of Natural History recently recognized Jeanne Chamberlin and Paul Roth III as winners of the 2018 James Pope Cheney Volunteer of the Year Award.

Paul Roth, left, and Jeanne Chamberlin were recently recognized as the Florida Museum volunteers of the year. ©Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Paul Roth, left, and Jeanne Chamberlin were recently recognized as the Florida Museum volunteers of the year. ©Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage

This award is presented annually to distinguished museum volunteers who show outstanding interest in museum collections, effort toward the educational advancement of children and enthusiastic support for the museum and volunteer communities.

Chamberlin was recognized for her work with education and outreach with the museum and Roth was recognized for his volunteer work and contributions to the Invertebrate Paleontology Division.

Chamberlin has been with the museum since 1987 and worked as an employee and a volunteer. In her most recent assignment, Chamberlin serves as a docent, leading field trips, representing the museum at outreach events and working at special events throughout the year.

“I love being able to plant the seeds of knowledge in children,” Chamberlin said. “I get to open young minds to worlds they may not be aware of and don’t get to see much anymore.”

As an educator, Chamberlin has learned to adjust program content to meet the needs of every audience, from children and adults to visitors with special needs.

“She continually volunteers to work as the outreach coordinator, often visiting schools multiple times a semester,” said Diane Behringer, a school programs coordinator at the Florida Museum.

Roth has been with the museum since 2006 and currently serves as a collection and research assistant in invertebrate paleontology. He has also made contributions to vertebrate paleontology as well as paleobotany. He works in the field, the lab and provides outreach locally and throughout the Southeast.

“The chance to help advance the science of paleontology and the thrill of helping to make new discoveries is the best part of working at the museum,” Roth said.

Museum volunteers of the year, Paul Roth, second from left, and Jeanne Chamberlin, second from right, are pictured with their supervisors, Roger Portell, far left, and Becky Dunckel, far right, and volunteer coordinator Amy Hester, center. ©Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Museum volunteers of the year, Paul Roth, second from left, and Jeanne Chamberlin, second from right, are pictured with their supervisors, Roger Portell, far left, and Becky Dunckel, far right, and volunteer coordinator Amy Hester, center. ©Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage

In this position, Roth has donated more than 1,500 invertebrate specimens, as well as specimens to the vertebrate paleontology and paleobotany collections.

The volunteer award is named in honor of James Pope Cheney, a Florida Museum docent for 14 years before his death in 2004.

“The museum would not be able to function at the high level it does if it were not for the consistent dedication and hard work of our volunteer corps,” said Volunteer Coordinator Amy Hester.

In 2017, more than 500 adult volunteers contributed over 28,000 hours to the museum, the equivalent of more than 13 full-time employees. The volunteers were recognized during a March 28 reception at the museum.

For more information on museum volunteer opportunities, email volunteer coordinator Amy Hester, ahester@flmnh.ufl.edu or visit www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/volunteers.

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Writer: Jessica Finkel, 352-273-2032, PRintern@flmnh.ufl.edu
Source: Amy Hester, 352-273-2055, ahester@flmnh.ufl.edu
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu