Two white women standing in front of a waterfall. On the left is, middle aged Cathy Olmer, WonderLab Founding Executive Director. On the right is a senior, Norma Olmer, Cathy's mother. Both women are smiling for the camera.

Cathy Olmer with her mother, Norma.

Catherine and Norma Olmer Education Endowment Fund

Donate to the Catherine and Norma Olmer Education Endowment Fund. All proceeds from the Endowment Fund will be used to support educational activities at WonderLab.

From Cathy

“….the one thing I’ve done that has had the most impact on me, on others, on the community is WonderLab. So, I look at that as something that is going to affect millions and millions of children and schools and families, and I’m really happy about that.”

– Cathy Olmer, 2017 NPR StoryCorps Interview: Listen to the Interview

About Cathy Olmer

Cathy became a faculty member of the Indiana University Physics Department in 1979. In addition to her substantial physics research, Cathy found that she enjoyed teaching courses in physics for elementary education majors to help them create hands-on activities for the classroom that would excite young children about science. 

In 1995, Cathy joined forces with Deborah Kent and others to explore the possibility of creating a science museum not only for children, but for people of all ages to experience the wonder and excitement of science. This became the beloved WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology. Cathy served as executive director of the museum until 2017, at which point she “stepped down” into the role of chief financial officer, a role she filled until her death.

Read: In Memoriam: Catherine Olmer, WonderLab Founding Executive Director

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