New director on board for ETSU Fossil Site museum and visitors center

JOHNSON CITY – Jeanne L. Zavada is the new director for East Tennessee State University’s  museum and visitors center currently under construction at the five-acre Gray Fossil Site.

Informally dubbed the ETSU Museum of Natural History and Visitors Center, the 33,000-square-foot structure is “going up fast,” according to Zavada, who is temporarily housed in Gilbreath Hall on campus.  She is already hard at work planning activities and outreach programs to “make science fun and enjoyable for one and all” while boosting tourism and the regional economy.

The new facility will house the Eastman Credit Union Multi-Media Classroom, collections storage, research offices, preparation labs, a computer lab, permanent and temporary exhibit halls, a snack bar and a gift shop.  It is located on state Highway 75 about one mile from Interstate 26.

Zavada notes that good weather has permitted ETSU’s paleontological excavation team to work at the Fossil Site most of the summer.  The latest find at the prolific dig has “everyone very excited” and joins the impressive and rapidly increasing list of fossils found to date, including ancient rhinos, tapirs, turtles, alligators, short-faced bear, weasels, red panda, rodents, and others, plus fossilized plant remains.  The 4.5 million to 7 million years old dig, first discovered by state road crews in 2000, is the only Miocene Epoch site in this part of the country.