Office of Policy and Program Development 



Margaret C. Gaynor, Director 



The Office of Policy and Program Development (OPPD) pre- 

 pares analyses and reports for the secretary and the Board of 

 Regents, anticipating the long-range policy and program- 

 ming needs of the Institution. 



OPPD's chief activity during 1994 revolved around the ac- 

 tivities of the Commission on the Future of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, which the Board of Regents convened in Septem- 

 ber 1993 to examine the cultural environment and nature of 

 operations of the Institution and recommend programmatic 

 and planning directions for the coming century. The commis- 

 sion held its first meeting in January 1994, with subsequent 

 plenary sessions in June, September, and December. Issues 

 that the commission examined included sociodemographic 

 trends and impacts on audience development, educational pro- 

 gramming and research, and internal structure and gover- 

 nance. The commission s report to the Board of Regents was 

 expected in early 1995. 



OPPD also contributed to the Insntution-wide planning 

 for celebrating the Smithsonian s isoth anniversary in 1996. 



Office of Public Affairs 



Linda St. Thomas. Acting Director 



The Office of Public Affairs acquaints the public, including 

 diverse cultural communities in the United States and abroad, 

 with the programs and policies of the Smithsonian by work- 

 ing with newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and general 

 publications. The office provides news releases (650 this year), 

 photographs, videotapes, logistical support, and broadcast 

 public service announcements. The office also produces a num- 

 ber of publications: Restanh Reporn fa quarterly research bulle- 

 tin), Smithsonian Runner (a bimonthly newsletter about Native 

 American activities at the Institution), the Torch (a monthly 

 employee newspaper), and brochures for the public. 



Among the important media events held by the office this 

 year were press conferences announcing the appointment of 

 the new Smithsonian secretary; the results of a study of the 

 Institution's economic impact on the Washington, DC, area; 

 and the outcome of the Smithsonian-commissioned Latino 

 Task Force study. OPA coordinated publicity and national ad- 

 vertising campaigns for the opening Oct. 30, 1994, of the Na- 

 tional Museum of the American Indian's George Gustav Heye 

 Center in New York. 



This year, the office published a number of updated publi- 

 cations for visitors, including the Smithsonian's general infor- 

 mation brochure in six languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, 



German, Japanese and Spanish) and "Smithsonian Access" (for- 

 merly "Smithsonian Institution: A Guide fot Disabled Visitors"). 



The office continued its programs designed to reach new au- 

 diences with a radio advertising campaign geared to local Afri- 

 can American listeners and a print advertising campaign 

 targeting Latino readers. 



Planning for the commemoration of the Smithsonian's 

 150th anniversary in 1996 moved into high gear this year, with 

 the office playing a key role on the marketing committee, 

 which developed a plan aimed at increasing public awareness 

 of the Smithsonian. 



Sciences 



Office of the Assistant Secretary for the 

 Sciences 



Robert S. Hoffmann, Assistant Secretary 



Since its inception, the Smithsonian has nourished a commit- 

 ment to a scientific research program characterized by 

 breadth, depth, and outreach. The Smithsonian's scientific 

 studies, known for their benefit to the entire scientific com- 

 munity, are carried on in specialized research institutes and 

 laboratories, in museums, in the National Zoological Park, 

 and in central support units. In all its scientific endeavors, the 

 Smithsonian strives to maintain an institutional atmosphere 

 that enhances creativity and stimulates new insights into the 

 natural and human worlds that will enable us to deal success- 

 fully with the challenges we face now and in the future. 



During 1994, scientific studies continued to emphasize 

 global environmental research. Smithsonian scientists are 

 working to develop an adequate understanding of the struc- 

 ture and composition of natural communities and eco- 

 systems so that their richness and stability can be 

 maintained or restored in the face of increasing human 

 pressures. Through fundamental research by the Insti- 

 tution's systematic biologists, the species richness of the 

 biosphere is being inventoried and described. In addition 

 to environmental research by Smithsonian scientists, an- 

 thropologists at the Institution are examining changing 

 cultures, ranging from contemporary West African art and 

 culture to the influence on the Caribbean region of the im- 

 portation of peoples and their cultures during the slave era. 



The Environmental Awareness Program continued design 

 and production of "Ocean Planet," a traveling exhibition on 

 ocean conservation that will open at the National Museum of 

 Natural History in April 1995. The program also participated 

 in an interagency working group convened by the White 

 House on federal environmental research and educational 

 activities. 



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