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Staff

General Contact Information

McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture
The University of Tennessee
1327 Circle Park Drive
Knoxville TN 37996-3200
Phone: 865-974-2144
Email: museum@utk.edu

Headshot of Executive Director Claudio Gómez wearing black jacket, orange pin, and dark gray background

Claudio Gomez, with McClung Museum, Staff headshot taken in the Communications Studio on January 13, 2026. Photo by Craig Bisacre/University of Tennessee

 Claudio Gómez Jefferson Chapman Executive Director
Headshot of Amanda Beasley Amanda Beasley Visitor Services Coordinator abeasle7@utk.edu
Photo of Callie Bennet smiling in front of a gray backdrop Callie Bennett Museum Educator croller2@utk.edu
Leslie Chang Jantz, with McClung Museum, A3#6 headshot taken in the Communications Studio on November 25, 2025. Photo by Craig Bisacre/University of Tennessee Leslie Chang Jantz Curator of Education lcjantz@utk.edu
Headshot of Dr. Sadie Counts smiling in front of gray background Sadie Counts

Curator of Cultural Collections

 scounts2@utk.edu
Headshot of Dr. Alison Damick smiling in front of gray background Alison Damick Associate Curator of Environmental Archaeology;
Manager of Laboratory of Environmental Archaeology (LEA)		 adamick@utk.edu
Headshot of Gerald Dinkins smiling in front of gray background Gerald Dinkins Curator of Malacology;

Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of Natural Resources, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

 gdinkins@utk.edu
John Esselburn, with McClung Museum, Staff headshot taken in the Communications Studio on November 18, 2025. Photo by Craig Bisacre/University of Tennessee Matthew Esselburn Security Staff jesselbu@utk.edu
Headshot of Courtney Francis Courtney Francis Membership & Events Coordinator cfranc19@utk.edu
Headshot of Dr. Kandi Hollenbach smiling in front of gray background Kandi Hollenbach Associate Curator of Paleoethnobotany;

Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee

 kdh@utk.edu
Laurel Hooker Smith, with McClung Museum, Staff headshot taken in the Communications Studio on November 18, 2025. Photo by Craig Bisacre/University of Tennessee Laurel Hooker Smith Exhibit Coordinator lhooker3@utk.edu
Headshot of Katy Malone smiling in front of background Katy Malone Manager of Education & Community Engagement katy@utk.edu
Headshot of Barbara McClendon Barbara McClendon

Curator of Exhibitions

 bmcclen5@utk.edu
Headshot of Karen Norwood smiling in front of background Karen Norwood Collections Manager & Registrar knorwoo6@utk.edu
Headshot of Emily Reichard Emily Reichard Manager of Communications & Marketing ereichar@utk.edu
Headshot of Becca Styers smiling in front of background Becca Styers Manager of Finance & Administration rkelley7@utk.edu
Photo of Lance Sullivan smiling in front of a gray backdrop. Lance Sullivan, with McClung Museum, Staff headshot taken in the Communications Studio on December 16, 2025. Photo by Craig Bisacre/University of Tennessee Lance Sullivan Security Staff lsulli19@utk.edu
Headshot of Chris Weddig Chris Weddig Manager of Operations & Exhibitions cweddig@utk.edu
Headshot of Tiffany Vaughn smiling in front of gray background Tiffany Vaughn Administrative Assistant tmanes@utk.edu

Current Graduate Research Assistants