The Smithsonian Institution has appointed Tricia Edwards as director of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, effective April 20, 2026. Tricia has served as interim director since September 2025.
Prior to joining Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Tricia served as deputy director of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and Smithsonian Affiliations (SITES | SA), where she provided executive leadership for strategic planning, development, and operations. From June 2024 to June 2025, she also served as interim director of SITES | SA. Earlier roles included deputy director for Smithsonian Affiliations and interim deputy director for exhibits, finance, and administration at SITES.
Earlier in her Smithsonian career, Tricia spent 12 years as head of education at the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the National Museum of American History. During that time, she created Spark!Lab, a hands-on invention space for children that now operates in museums across the United States and internationally, and she launched an award‑winning consumer product line under the Spark!Lab brand.
Before joining the Smithsonian, Tricia directed education programs at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, and the Delaware Museum of Natural History (now the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science). She began her career as a preschool teacher, establishing a foundation for a career centered on learning, curiosity, and public engagement.
For more about this appointment, see the Smithsonian news release.
