February 2025 Member of the Month
What’s one thing — either industry/work-related or not — you learned in the past month?
My 7-year-old daughter is performing in her first Nutcracker performance this year, so I have been learning (and experiencing) all of the amazing work that goes into putting on a dance performance of that scale.
What do you value about your membership with AAMG?
As a department of one, I love having a network of others in the university world that I can go for questions or advice, or even just read what others are experiencing. A university has its own challenges and issues that those in other types of institutions may not quite understand.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be?
I would love to trade places with Banksy! It would be exciting to see how they do what they do and their thought process on such iconic and simple pieces.
Coffee or Tea?
Both! I must start each morning with my coffee (using a protein shake for creamer and it takes care of breakfast too!), but I love hot mint tea in the evenings, especially in the winter.
Book/Author suggestion?
I recently finished my PhD in August and am now reading all the fiction that I can to make up for all the reading-for-pleasure that I have missed over the last several years. I have always gravitated toward mystery novels and really enjoy anything that Tana French has written.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I have always loved animals and thought I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a child. But once I realized all that entailed, I switched to wanting to find a way to work in the arts. My dad is a singer/songwriter/playwright/artist, so I had grown up knowing that working in the arts is a fulfilling way to make a living.
What do you enjoy most about being a part of an academic museum?
I work with a public art collection, which is a little different from an academic museum. But I love walking through campus and seeing our students’ reactions to the public art that surrounds them as they walk to and from class or other campus activities. I actually focused my PhD studies on how public art on campus can create a sense of belonging for our students and was amazed at how they viewed and interacted with the art on campus.
What are your hopes for our industry?
I hope that we can learn as much from students over the years as we hope they are learning from us. Engaging with them is so helpful in understanding their needs and wants, as well as invigorating us as professionals.
With conference coming up, can you share a bit about your forthcoming presentation?
I haven’t submitted anything yet, but I hope to find a good way to present some about my research regarding a sense of belonging and how public art helped our students find theirs. I se much of what I learned that would transfer to campus museums as well.
Do you have a favorite joke to share?
I’ll use my daughter’s favorite: “Why shouldn’t you play cards in the jungle? It’s full of cheetahs!
