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Meet Your Neighbor: John Good
By Callie Thomas
“Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
What kid (or adult for that matter) wouldn’t love to explore the tomb of an Egyptian mummy like Indiana Jones? Wouldn’t it be great if these curious explorers also had the ability to use handy new state-of the-art technology that would allow them to “scan” a mummy replica and view actual medical imaging taken of a real mummy? They can, and so can you, thanks to resident John Good, the current board chair for the Las Vegas Natural History Museum who developed the Treasures of Egypt exhibit which opened last year. The exhibit features artifact recreations from King Tut’s tomb donated by the Luxor Las Vegas. It is one of only two sets of Tomb of Tutankhamun replicas authorized by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. Treasures of Egypt is just one of the many manifestations of John Good’s passion for science and education.
Good had a successful career as an advertising professional in Los Angeles before deciding to take a position at the National History Museum of LA County, where he was able to embark on his true passion. He oversaw the development and funding of special exhibits, including five National Science Foundation-funded projects. His accomplishments and dedication led to additional nonprofit and community appointments. Good served on the Long Beach Arts Council, as well as board member and president of Getty House Foundation and as co-chair of Smithsonian Week.
In 2002 Good decided to open his own company, Exhibit IQ, and in 2007 he relocated the business to Las Vegas, as many of the fabricators that created his unique exhibits were working in Vegas shows and themed casino resorts. “We strive to make science and cultural programs interesting and inspiring in order to engage the public,” says Good. “It provides an opportunity for them to become better informed and for students to consider science or culture-based careers.”
Exhibit IQ has produced science and cultural exhibitions and programs for museums, zoos, aquariums, universities, libraries and corporations around the world. “Our goal is to make science and cultural topics exciting and relevant through innovative design and strong connections to pop culture, like connecting science content with popular science-based TV shows or well known celebrity figures,” he said.
Good has taken his desire to inspire our youth and motivate more science and technology interest by co-founding and co-directing the Las Vegas Science Festival. The annual one week event celebrates science and technology in Southern Nevada. “The inaugural event in May hosted more than 50 events, partnered with more than 80 organizations and saw more than 15,000 participants. We already have set April 29 through May 5 for the 2012 Science Festival.”
Exhibit IQ continues its mentoring philosophy by supporting the West Technical and Career Academy in Summerlin. Select students formed a group to learn more about a project Exhibit IQ was working on with the Physics Department at UC Berkeley and skateboarding superstar Tony Hawk. The project demonstrates how physics principles like gravity, force, velocity, acceleration, inertia and balance make radical tricks possible in sports like skateboarding, BMX and snowboarding. The students suggested what they would include in the exhibit and designed a prototype of a moving exhibit element themselves. After performing tests they debuted it at the Las Vegas Science Festival on Expo Day. “Their recommendations are being used in the development of the final exhibit,” Good said. The students will also attend the opening of Tony Hawk Vert Science at Berkeley in 2012 and meet the famous skateboarding legend in person.
“It is important our youth see that there are many options for them in science, technology, engineering and math,” he said. “The next generation will be called on to solve significant challenges from climate change to water and energy issues, health care advances and next generation technology. We need to make sure that today’s kids are inspired and trained to meet those challenges. I hope that the little bit I’m able to give back to the community will make a difference.”
