The Adler Planetarium’s new president Michelle Larson can personalize a fact from every exhibit (the theater’s unusually accurate horizon line reminds her of her Alaska youth) and seems to know each floor staffer’s name, even those who can’t remember hers

Field Museum President Richard Lariviere took over the institution last August. | Andrew A. Nelles~Sun-Times Media

Douglas Druick heads the Art Institute of Chicago. He's focusing his tenure on technology integration: adding photographs to flesh out an internet-accessible collection, creating downloadable audio tours and installing snappy iPad displays. | Jean Lachat~