José H. Leal, Ph.D., is the Science Director and Curator of the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum and has served the Museum since 1996, initially as its Executive Director. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, José received his BSc in Marine Biology and MSc in Zoology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and his PhD in Marine Biology and Fisheries from the University of Miami. He was a Visiting Researcher at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris, France) and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History (Washington, DC). In March 2010, under José’s leadership, the National Shell Museum and Aquarium was awarded its first accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums. José is also a past-president of the American Malacological Society and of Conchologists of America and is currently a council member of the international organization Unitas Malacologica. In 2023, he received the prestigious Neptunea Award from Conchologists of America for his service to the global community of shell enthusiasts.