A towering dinosaur built by a recent Rochester Institute of Technology graduate is getting a second life at Ithaca’s Museum of the Earth, where visitors will soon be able to see the 19-foot-long creation up close.
The model was created by Andrew Bovenzi as his senior capstone project while studying studio arts at RIT. After spending 10 months building the life-sized dinosaur, Bovenzi donated it to the Museum of the Earth, which is operated by the Paleontological Research Institution.
The dinosaur is a hadrosaur, a group of plant-eating dinosaurs that includes well-known species such as Edmontosaurus and Parasaurolophus. Bovenzi based his model on Velifrons, a lesser-known hadrosaur discovered in Mexico and known from a single specimen found in the early 2000s.
Constructed from foam and joint compound over a wood and chicken-wire frame, the model features detailed skin textures inspired by fossilized hadrosaur skin impressions. The coloration is artistic interpretation, but the overall design was intended to help visitors better understand what the animals may have looked like in life.
Bovenzi said the project began in July 2025 after visits to several museums, including the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and the Edelman Fossil Museum in New Jersey. The completed model was later displayed as part of his senior exhibition at RIT alongside dozens of miniature dinosaur sculptures.
Museum officials said the project stood out because it combines art and science, a theme reflected throughout many of the institution’s exhibits. Warren Allmon, director of the Paleontological Research Institution, said the museum recognized the model as a strong addition to its collection after seeing it in person.
Bovenzi said he hopes to pursue a career creating museum exhibits and teaching art, using his work to spark curiosity and encourage young people to learn more about science and the natural world.
The Velifrons model is currently being installed and is expected to be fully on display at the Museum of the Earth in early June.
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