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Adler Getting New Museum Leader

CHICAGO (CBS) – The Adler Planetarium is getting a new leader: a woman who describes herself as an amateur astronomer.

Starting the first of the year, astrophysicist Michelle Larson will be the first female president of the Adler.

In fact, she will be the first woman as permanent head of any of the institutions on Chicago's museum campus.

She's currently a vice provost and professor at Utah State University.

She has previously worked for NASA, Cal Tech and Penn State in what she calls her not-so-traditional, but enjoyable, career path.

Adler's chairman says she'll oversee the continuing conversion of the planetarium into a 21st Century museum.

She takes over from Paul Knappenberger who's retiring after 21 years

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Regine Schlesinger Reports

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