Rate My Professor Chris Smith

Chris Smith is the Museum Curator of the W. D. Trotter Anatomy Museum within the Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Otago, a position he has held for over 13 years as of 2018. As a highly skilled educator, he and his team support a diverse array of trainee health professionals across various disciplines and contribute expertise to numerous research projects. Under his curatorship, the museum has evolved into a modern, internationally recognised learning resource. Key enhancements include the introduction of 3-D anatomical software programs, the digitisation of archived radiographs and plastinated body sections, and the acquisition of new models to enrich the collection. Smith facilitates student learning by offering after-hours access to the museum facilities.

Chris Smith actively promotes the museum through extensive outreach efforts, including guided tours for students and the public, presentations at national and international scientific and conservation conferences. His commitment to cultural preservation is demonstrated by rescuing halftone copper plates depicting electron microscope images of cells from the oviduct of domestic hens from disposal during a museum clean-up; these were subsequently printed as artworks using historical techniques. In addition to his curatorial duties, Smith engages with the university community through involvement in medical school reunion groups and the Otago Medical School Alumni Association, reflecting his deep passion for the museum's history and collections. He has co-authored scholarly work, including "Anatomical models by F.J. Steger (1845-1938)" published in the European Journal of Anatomy in 2014 with Jon Cornwall. Smith's exemplary service has been honoured with the School of Biomedical Sciences Teaching Support Award in 2018, the Teaching Support Sustained Contribution Award in 2018, and the University of Otago Professional Staff Award in 2021. He also holds the position of vice-president of the Australasian Institute for Anatomical Sciences.