Frederic Bertley

Dr. Bertley is a scientist, scholar, and evangelist for innovative thinking, ideation and challenging the status quo. As President and CEO of COSI, Dr. Bertley is shepherding the leading Central Ohio science center to its next great iteration in a legacy of successful science center history. Prior to being President and CEO of COSI, Dr. Bertley was the Senior Vice President for Science and Education at the Franklin Institute where he oversaw a diverse portfolio of initiatives supporting innovation in STEM learning, the partnership with Science Leadership Academy (SLA), The Color of Science, as well as departments and programs that capture the history and legacy of The Franklin Institute such as the Benjamin Franklin Awards Program.

After graduating from McGill University where he studied Physiology, Mathematics and the History of Science, and earned a Ph.D. in Immunology, Dr. Bertley worked internationally in preventative medicine and basic vaccines in Haiti, The Sudan, and the Canadian Arctic. Bertley continued this focus by joining a vaccine research group at Harvard Medical School focusing on the development of DNA vaccines for HIV/AIDS. Dr. Bertley’s international footprint also includes collaboration on educational and science projects in Egypt, Paraguay, Senegal and the Caribbean.

Dr. Bertley sits on the boards of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, Experience Columbus, the Association of Science and Technology Centers and numerous other organizations.

Dr. Bertley has keynoted and been an invited speaker at several distinguished institutions including The United Nations, The White House, and the National Academy of Sciences. He has received numerous honors, some of which include: an Honorary Doctorate from Otterbein University, Dell Inc. Inspire 100 World Changers, Harvard Medical School Dean’s Service Award, Columbus CEO’s CEO of the Year, Columbus Business First’s C-Suite Award, Philadelphia Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, Philadelphia Business Journal’s Minority Business Leader of The Year, the George Washington Carver Award, The President’s Award (Merck), Citation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and two Mid-Atlantic, National Academy of Television and Science EMMYS.