Tom Strang

Senior Conservation Scientist, Preventive Conservation Division

Main areas of work and/or specializations

• integrated pest management (IPM) for cultural property
• site surveys for IPM, recommendations for facility and procedural design
• pest treatments: thermal control and controlled atmospheres, including their efficacy and effects on material
• microscopy, thermal analysis, computer modelling and programming, GPS survey and use of geographic information systems (GIS)

Biography

Tom Strang earned a Ph.D. from the Department of Conservation, University of Gothenburg, a Master of Art Conservation (Artifacts) from Queen’s University and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Biology from Carleton University. Since 1988, Tom has generated solutions to problems presented by organisms deleterious to cultural property. He is an expert in IPM for all types of collections facilities and has conducted IPM reviews for leading museums, galleries and archives in North America. He has established efficacy of thermal control methods against insect pests and investigated the risk of adverse effects of pest control treatments on material cultural objects.

Tom’s recent research with the National Research Institute for Cultural Property, Tokyo, focuses on comparing the relative harm of chemically reactive fumigants to replacement technologies such as lowered and elevated temperature and controlled-atmosphere fumigation. Other current work includes quantifying risk to collections through environment-driven mould and insect population dynamics. Prior to joining the Canadian Conservation Institute, Tom gained experience at the Provincial Museum of Alberta, Ontario’s Mobile Conservation Laboratory program and Parks Canada’s underwater excavation of a Basque whaling galleon at Red Bay, Labrador. Tom has presented numerous talks, courses and workshops nationally and internationally.