Dr. Gabriela Chavarria
Executive Director
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Dr. Chavarria serves as the Executive Director of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. In this role, she carries forward the Burke’s mission to care for and share natural and cultural collections so all people can learn, be inspired, generate knowledge, feel joy, and heal.
Growing up in Mexico City, Dr. Chavarria fell in love with bees at an early age. She has devoted her career to the conservation of native pollinators, especially bumble bees. She conducted research as a wood anatomist focused on fighting the illegal trafficking of tropical hardwoods.
Prior to the Burke, she served as the VP and Chief Curator, Science Division, at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Dr. Chavarria received her bachelor’s degree in biology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and her master’s and Ph.D. in organismic and evolutionary biology from Harvard University.