What inspires me
When I was 10, my family took a trip to San Francisco. Somewhere between wandering Fisherman鈥檚 Wharf and riding a cable car, we visited the Exploratorium 鈥� one of the first 鈥渉ands-on鈥� science centers in the country. I was delighted by the intriguing exhibits and phenomena, but beyond that, I was astounded that a place like the Exploratorium existed.
I was a shy, nerdy kid growing up in a small town and feeling very much alone. My school, my neighborhood, all seemed to be telling me that being smart and curious was at best, an oddity, and at worst, a social defect. Visiting the Exploratorium 鈥� this sanctuary celebrating intellectual curiosity 鈥� opened a world of possibility to me. From that trip, I carried home two treasures: 1) a huge drawing made with neon markers and a pendulum and 2) the seed of an idea: that I didn鈥檛 need to change who I was to be okay.
I will never stop feeling grateful to the Exploratorium for helping that lonely, awkward kid see that she wasn鈥檛 broken. And I love free-choice learning spaces like museums and zoos and science centers for that reason 鈥� because they hold the power to lift up ideas, to welcome us in and meet us where we鈥檙e at 鈥� and remind us that as we struggle in our humanness to create, understand and make meaning of the world, we are not alone.
Background
My background is in early childhood education and cognitive development, and for the last 15 years have worked in informal learning settings as an exhibit designer, educator and evaluator. Since 2019, I鈥檝e been the Principal Evaluator at the Seattle Aquarium; I also consult as an independent evaluator for non-profit organizations and formerly聽worked聽in education and evaluation at the Children鈥檚 Museum of Denver and at Denver Zoo.聽I am insatiably curious about聽how and what people聽learn聽and feel聽when they spend time in zoos, aquariums, museums and science centers.
Specializations
My areas of interest include early childhood and family learning, exhibit design, affective and cognitive outcomes, and how free-choice learning experiences intersect with dimensions of identity. I get excited about participatory evaluation methods and am deeply committed to equitable, anti-racist and culturally responsive evaluation.