Announcements

Proven science and technology leader to guide site growth, educational programming, and the launch of the Eugene Sayan Visitor Center—advancing Nikola Tesla’s legacy through innovation and STEM learning 

Shoreham, NY — January 6, 2026 — Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe (TSCW) today announced the appointment of Kara Cannon, former CEO of Enzo Biochem and a nationally respected life sciences executive, as its new Executive Director, effective immediately. 

A Long Island native with more than three decades of global leadership experience, Cannon steps into the role at a pivotal moment for the organization. She will lead the continued restoration of Nikola Tesla’s historic Wardenclyffe laboratory, expand educational and public programming, and guide the launch of the Eugene Sayan Visitor Center, the first structure on the site designed to welcome the public and serve as a hub for innovation and STEM learning. 

Following nine years of leadership under former New York State Assemblyman Marc Alessi, Cannon was selected from a highly competitive national candidate pool to lead TSCW into its next chapter. She previously served on the TSCW Board of Directors beginning in 2024, giving her deep insight into the organization’s mission, momentum, and long-term vision. 

“Kara Cannon emerged from a highly competitive national candidate pool as the clear choice to lead Tesla Science Center into its next chapter,” said Dr. Richard Gearns, President of the TSCW Board of Directors. “She brings the rare combination of scientific credibility, executive leadership, and personal passion for education that this moment demands. Most importantly, she shares Nikola Tesla’s belief that bold ideas and applied science can, and should, shape a better future.” 

Throughout her career, Cannon has built and led complex science-driven organizations, introduced advanced technologies to global markets, and championed interdisciplinary collaboration to solve meaningful challenges. Her work has helped strengthen Long Island’s innovation economy by creating jobs, advancing scientific discovery, and supporting the next generation of leaders in science and technology. 

“I am honored to lead Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe at such an exciting and meaningful moment,” Cannon said. “Nikola Tesla changed the world with his imagination and scientific courage. This site has the potential to inspire that same spirit in generations to come. Together with our team and partners, we will establish Wardenclyffe as a global center for imaginative thinking—one that preserves, restores, and advances Tesla’s legacy through education and innovation.” 

Cannon currently serves on the boards of New York Bio and Farmingdale State College, advises academic programs in science and health, and mentors emerging entrepreneurs in the life sciences. After decades in the corporate and scientific sectors, she brings a renewed passion for helping the next generation of innovators thrive. 

“Kara is uniquely prepared to lead a site of such historic and scientific importance,” said Dr. Brent Glass, Director Emeritus of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, who oversaw the national recruitment search. “Her strategic mindset and passion for mission-driven work align perfectly with the Center’s future.” 

Founded on the site of Nikola Tesla’s only remaining laboratory, Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe is advancing a mission deeply rooted in Long Island’s rich legacy of science, technology, and innovation. From Tesla’s groundbreaking discoveries at Wardenclyffe to the global research and innovation driven by neighboring institutions such as Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the region has long been a center of scientific leadership and imagination. 

Construction of the original Wardenclyffe facility began in 1901 and included one of Tesla’s most revolutionary ideas: a global, wireless system for communication and power transmission. The site featured a brick laboratory building and an 187-foot wooden tower, symbolizing Tesla’s belief that bold ideas could reshape the world. More than a century later, TSCW is stewarding that vision—preserving Tesla’s legacy while fostering innovation that empowers people of all ages to dream, invent, experiment, and create solutions that benefit humanity and the environment. 

More than a century ago, Nikola Tesla described the revolutionary potential of the work he envisioned at Wardenclyffe: 

“As soon as completed, it will be possible for a businessman in New York to dictate instructions and have them instantly appear in type at his office in London or elsewhere. He will be able to call up, from his desk, and talk to any telephone subscriber on the globe, without any change whatever is in the existing equipment. An inexpensive instrument, not bigger than a watch, will enable its bearer to hear anywhere, on sea or land, music or song, the speech of a political leader, the address of an eminent man of science, or the sermon of an eloquent clergyman, delivered in some other place, however distant. In the same manner, any picture, character, drawing, or print can be transferred from one place to another. Millions of such instruments can be operated from one plant of this kind. More important than all of this, however, will be the transmission of power, without wires, which will be shown on a scale large enough to carry conviction.” 

Cannon brings her own vision to Wardenclyffe—one that ensures TSCW not only preserves the stories of the past but also becomes a place where future generations are empowered to imagine boldly and turn ideas into reality. 

About Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe 

Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe (TSCW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to developing the site of Nikola Tesla’s last remaining laboratory into a transformative global science center. The organization embraces Tesla’s bold spirit of invention, provides innovative learning experiences, fosters the advancement of new technologies, and preserves his legacy through the future Nikola Tesla Museum. TSCW envisions a world where people appreciate Tesla’s contributions, are inspired by his scientific audacity, and engage in the betterment of humanity.