Chris Flis

Museum Director

Christopher Flis has worked in the museum and paleontology industry since 2004. He was born in Midland, Texas, and has also lived in Dublin, Ireland and London, England. Chris has worked for multiple museum’s throughout his career, including the Houston Museum of Natural Science, The Black Hills Institute of Geologic Research, and the Lafayette Natural History Museum in Lafayette, Louisiana. Chris graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a degree in English and minors in History and French. His college studies also included geology and biology with emphasis in paleontology, anatomy, and evolutionary biology.

Holly Simon

Assistant Curator

Holly is originally from Fort Worth, but has lived in Seymour for 5 years and almost started volunteering upon arrival. She's always had a fascination for paleontology and reptiles. WMNH provides her with the opportunity to do both! As Assistant Curator.  When she's not caring for the animals, she is a productive member of our dig team.  Holly loves that through volunteering, she is able to learn more about paleontology and is very satisfied with being able to help provide education experiences to our visitors and contribute to our research.  For her, it's the greatest thing in the world to talk to people who like the same thing you do and get to express your passion to others!

Laura Nix

Administrative Assistant 

Laura is originally from Michigan but, has lived in Texas for the past 27 years and the last 12 years have been spent in Seymour. You can find Laura in the gift shop at the WMNH where she enjoys checking in guests and helping with other administrative duties. Laura has always had an interest in fossils and history. Her favorite thing to see and watch is when the lab uncovers jaws and teeth. Everyday it is something new! Laura was a music major with a minor in business. Laura also enjoys spending time with her family and loves to crochet.

Jacob Stripling

Docent

Jacob has been interested in finding fossils since he was two years-old.  A native of Seymour, Texas, he is currently a student in the Seymour ISD.  Jacob started volunteering at the museum in June of 2014.  Under the mentorship of Chris Flis, Jacob has begun his journey of becoming a paleontologist.  He is now very active in leading museum tours, participating in the digs, and prepping fossils.  He joins Chris or Coleton in the educational outreach to local schools.  Jacob also likes to spend time with his family, wood working and raising rabbits.

Robert T. Bakker

Adjunct Curator of Paleontology

 Dr. Bakker is a world renown paleontologist who helped reshape modern theories about dinosaurs, particularly by adding support to the theory that some dinosaurs were endothermic (warm-blooded).  Along with his mentor John Ostrom, Bakker was responsible for initiating the ongoing "dinosaur renaissance" in paleontological studies, beginning with Bakker's article "Dinosaur Renaissance" in the April 1975 issue of Scientific American. His special field is the ecological context and behavior of dinosaurs.  Dr. Bakker has been a major proponent of the theory that dinosaurs were "warm-blooded," smart, fast and adaptable. He published his first paper on dinosaur endothermy in 1968. His seminal work, The Dinosaur Heresies, was published in 1986. He revealed the first evidence of parental care at nesting sites for Allosaurus.