Franklin Institute Chief Stepping Down After 2 Decades

The Franklin Institute, home to the beloved giant heart and the worst movie theater in Philadelphia, is losing its leader of two decades, Dennis Wint. The 70-year-old Wint, who became president and CEO in 1995, will have been the longest serving president in the museum’s nearly 200-year-old history when he steps down at the end of 2014. He presided over the creation of Philly’s annual science festival and the Science Leadership Academy, a magnet school affiliated with the Institute.

A big item remaining on his agenda is overseeing the completion of the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion, a 53,000-square-foot expansion that is scheduled to open in June. It features a new exhibit on the human brain, a climate-controlled gallery for special exhibitions, and an education center with classrooms and conference space.

He’ll continue to teach at Drexel after he resigns, for its forthcoming graduate program on museum leadership. [Inquirer]