Brian Counterman named director of Auburn University Museum of Natural History

Brian Counterman took a winding route to museum leadership, beginning as a physics major in Southern California who loved the outdoors as much as the classroom, then discovering science as a career by watching professors build lives around inquiry and discovery.

Now, the evolutionary biologist and first-generation college graduate is bringing that same sense of purpose and drive to a new role as director of the Auburn University Museum of Natural History.

“I’ve always been drawn to places where curiosity and discovery matter,” Counterman said. “The museum is built on its collections, and now it’s time to think about what it can become.”

Counterman, a professor in the College of Sciences and Mathematics’ Department of Biological Sciences, steps into the directorship at a pivotal moment for the museum. He succeeds Jon Armbruster, who has led the museum for nine years and helped establish a strong foundation for Auburn’s natural history collections. Counterman said Armbruster’s leadership and reputation as a researcher were among the factors that drew him to Auburn.

That work now provides a solid base as the museum looks ahead, building on more than a decade of effort to consolidate and safeguard its collections.

“This is an important moment for the museum,” he said. “We have something really strong in place, and the challenge now is making sure it continues to grow and matter.”

Counterman brings a research background that spans genomics, field biology and museum-based science. After working as a technician and researcher at UC Santa Barbara, he spent time at the LSU Natural History Museum, an experience he credits with shaping his understanding of the role museums play in training scientists and advancing research. He later earned his PhD at Duke University, focusing on genomics at a time when large-scale sequencing was just emerging.

Today, his lab studies the genetic basis of butterfly wing color patterns and what those patterns reveal about adaptation and speciation — work that reflects the kinds of questions natural history collections help scientists ask. By linking changes at the DNA level to visible traits, Counterman’s research connects evolutionary theory to tangible biological outcomes.

“Wing color patterns are really important for survivorship,” he said. “They’re used for camouflage, warning coloration and mate choice.”

Beyond the lab, Counterman has conducted extensive fieldwork in the southeastern United States and in Central and South America. He has collaborated closely with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and has spent months working in places such as Panama, Peru and Ecuador.

That mix of research depth and real-world experience informs how Counterman views the museum’s future. He wants to increase public awareness of the museum’s collections and the people who steward them, noting that even many academics are unaware Auburn has a natural history museum.

“We need to do a better job showing people what the museum does and why it matters,” he said.

A central part of Counterman’s vision is positioning the museum as a connector across Alabama. The state does not have an official natural history repository, and Counterman sees an opportunity to help fill that gap by bringing together researchers, agencies, nonprofits and conservation groups.

To support that goal, Counterman is working with others to establish an Alabama Biodiversity Collaborative, modeled after similar efforts in other states. The collaborative would link researchers and organizations through a public-facing website, a shared listserv and an annual conference, making expertise more accessible to educators, policymakers and community members.

“I want Auburn to be at the forefront of that,” Counterman said.

Making that vision sustainable will require more than scientific leadership alone. Learning the philanthropic and administrative side of museum leadership is part of what excites Counterman about the role. He has led large research labs and secured significant funding, experience that informs how he is approaching the directorship and the museum’s long-term sustainability.

“I’m interested in the long game,” he said.