JOE ADAMS

President, Discovery Science Center
2003 – Present

Joe Adams was appointed president of Discovery Science Center (DSC) in 2003. Known for his creativity, strategies and emphasis on operational excellence, Joe has tripled DSC’s attendance in the last decade. DSC’s programs and initiatives impacted over 739,000 visitors and students throughout the Southern California region in the last year alone. Joe also diversified the Center by growing its Educational outreach program in schools to be among the largest in the nation. DSC’s education initiatives are in 650 schools and 27 school districts across Southern California and include 71,000 field trip students who visit Taco Bell Discovery Science Center every year. Joe is also the founder of the Los Angeles Discovery Science Center which will open in the San Fernando Valley in November 2014.

Joe enjoys being creative and using his talents to educate and inspire children by creating innovative museum exhibitions and dynamic classroom programs. By blending hands-on science activities, immersive environments, game design, and role playing, Joe is modernizing how educational content is delivered to families and students. He has created many “best in class” exhibits including Dino Quest, the Science of Hockey, the Boeing Rocket Lab and DSC’s newest exhibit, Eco Challenge.

Among many of Joe’s accolades are the 2007 O.C. Department of Education’s Outstanding Achievement in Education, OCRegister METRO’s Hot 25 People in the County, 2012 Orange County’s Most Trusted Brands, and the Silver Award for Best Environmental Program in the Nation.

Before joining DSC, Joe worked for the Walt Disney Company, developing theme parks. He was involved with the design and construction of Disney’s California Adventure theme park along with several attractions, restaurants and shops throughout the Disneyland Resort. Early in his career, Joe was a project engineer who explored for oil with Diamond M Offshore, as well as built power plants with the San Antonio City Public Service.

Joe holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with an Energy Concentration from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Irvine. Joe was born in San Diego, California. He now lives in Capistrano Beach with his wife Mechelle, daughter Lisa and sons Jack and Dylan.