As a neuroscientist at Vanderbilt and the mother of four children under the age of 6, it’s a wonder that Rankin McGugin has time for anything extra, but her busy personal and professional life hasn’t kept her from volunteering. For 12 years, she’s been an ardent supporter of the Adventure Science Center. She officially joined the Board of Trustees in 2015, and she has co-chaired the museum’s signature fundraiser, Mad Bash, for the past three years. Rankin’s involvement with the organization is a natural fit, at first because of her career in the sciences and later because of her role as a mother.

 

“Having children and considering the education they would get in Nashville inspired me to become more involved with the Adventure Science Center,” she says. “I saw the ASC as an incredible resource to science education in Tennessee, one with great history yet much room for advancement. For as long as I can remember, science has been a huge part of my life, and I believe strongly in the importance of an early introduction into the mysteries of the mind, the universe and technology. The ASC is a place where children (of all ages!) learn through play — a mother’s dream!”

 

Thanks to the ongoing commitment of Rankin and others like her, kids — and kids at heart — will continue to have the opportunity to explore what she calls “a place where curiosity knows no bounds."