DEPARTMENT OF ART HISTORY

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my husband and 2 kids, who are 7 and 9 years old. I'm the Chief Experience Officer at the Exploratorium. I'm also an author of children's books - my first book, Octopuses Have Zero Bones, is a counting book about our amazing world. My second book, Snow is Not White, which is about color, will be released in the fall of 2025.

My role at the Exploratorium focuses on research, development, and production of content across our Pier 15 campus and our global partner institutions. As we reimagine our own campus, my teams will develop the next generation of exhibits and programs for our floor as well as the experiences that will drive future science learning at museums around the world. 

2. What made you become an Art History major?  

I had a love for art that had been developing my whole life - both making my own and appreciating the art of others. I was intrigued by how understanding art and the context in which it was made could be a window into understanding history, and was lucky enough to have had classes structured that way in high school. Importantly, studying Art History at Northwestern gave me access to the studio art classes. So I could both study the history of art and practice my own art at the same time, which was a real joy. I also got to explore related fields, like archaeology, and I absolutely loved getting out into the field at the Cahokia Mounds as part of a field studies course. My first internship during my undergrad years was in the education department at the Art Institute of Chicago. It was an incredible experience to be behind the scenes at this renowned institution, and being placed in the education department was just what I needed to point me in the right direction for my career.  

The most significant experiences I had with art were the ones that happened off campus. I spent a lot of time at the Art Institute. I also traveled - and seeing art in context was impactful for me. 

In addition to my studies,  I was very involved in the Northwestern Outing Club. We spent a lot of time in the great outdoors, which led me to the field of environmental education. My first job after graduation was at the North Park Village Nature Center, which is a part of the Chicago Department of Environment. This led me to pursue graduate degrees in Environmental Studies and to many years of working in Environmental Education as an educator and curriculum developer. I co-authored a K-8 curriculum, Great Lakes in My World, with Stephanie Smith and the Alliance for the Great Lakes, which is still in use by teachers and informal educators all around the Great Lakes Basin. In 2003 I found my way to the Exploratorium, where I've been able to bring art, science, and learning together into one career.