Ian Griffin has been Director of Tūhura Otago Museum since 2013.  Under his leadership the Museum has seen major upgrades of plant and equipment, installation of the Perpetual Guardian Planetarium, the only 3D planetarium in Australasia, and opening the Tūhura Otago Community Trust Science Centre.

Before moving to Dunedin Ian’s career involved leading cultural and scientific institutions in the UK, USA and New Zealand. In 2018 he became a Justice of the Peace and since last year has been qualified to sit as a Judicial Justice of the Peace in the District Court of New Zealand.

In his spare time, Ian has a passion for photographing aurora, comets and constellations. He writes a weekly column in the Otago Daily Times and is a strong advocate for the preservation of Dunedin’s dark skies. In recognition of his contribution to science communication in New Zealand, Ian was awarded the Prime Minister’s Science Media Communication prize in 2015, and in June 2019 was made a Companion of the Royal Society Te Apārangi.