Contributors

Dr. Suse Anderson is Assistant Professor, Museum Studies at The George Washington University and producer Museopunks–the podcast for the progressive museum. A former President of MCN, Anderson teaches courses related to museums and technology, ethics and visitor experience. She holds a PhD from The University of Newcastle, Australia. Connect on Twitter.

Corrie Brady is a second year Masters candidate at the George Washington University. She has always been passionate about art and history, and has fostered her love for museums into internships and contract work with the Chrysler Museum of Art and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Corrie aspires to be a Chief Registrar of a collection where she can fulfill her dream of working closely with works of art. Connect on Twitter.

Rebecca Brockette is currently a first year graduate student at the George Washington University in the Museum Studies Program. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of North Texas in history and anthropology. Twitter | Email

Laura Dickson is a Museum Education graduate student at George Washington University. She earned her B.A. in Anthropology with an archaeology focus from the University of California, Davis. She is dedicated to promoting diversity in the museum field, through inclusive management, collections and programs. Connect on Twitter or email.

Jonathan Edelman is a masters student at The George Washington University, pursuing a degree in Museum Studies with a focus on exhibition development. Born and raised in Kansas City, Edelman moved to Washington D.C. in 2016 after completing his undergraduate degree at Clark University. For two years, Edelman served as the Curatorial Assistant for the Film, Oral History, and Record Sound Branch at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. He currently serves as a researcher for the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project and the Capital Jewish Museum. Connect on Twitter and Instagram.

Melissa Garcia is a first-generation Cuban-American, born and raised in Miami, Florida. She received an undergraduate degree in art history from Florida International University. After graduating, she took a year off to work in a museum as a guest services associate at The Bass in Miami Beach where she quickly recognized the need for a better representation of her community. She is now pursuing a Masters in Museum Studies at George Washington University and is completing an internship in the directors and development office at The Phillips Collection. Her recent experiences have sparked an interest in museum DEAI, governance, and fundraising. Melissa hopes to continue her research on multilingualism in museums and to be able to put it to practice herself in a museum someday. Connect on Twitter.

Cristin Guinan-Wiley is a second year Museum Studies Masters Student concentrating in Collection Management at The George Washington University where she also earned her Bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Dramatic Literature. Currently, she is employed full time also at GWU as an Academic Department Administrator. In what free time she doesn’t really have she is the lead actor in a Shakespeare troupe. Many thanks to her family and friends for all their support. Connect on Twitter.

Caitlin Hepner is an emerging museum professional with five years’ experience working with historical and archaeological collections and historic sites. She currently resides in Washington, D.C. where she is working towards her M.A. in Museum Studies with a concentration in Collections Management at The George Washington University. She holds a dual undergraduate degree in Anthropology and Archaeology from the University of Virginia. Caitlin has worked in both the Archaeology and Curatorial departments at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia, and now holds part-time positions at a number of D.C. area institutions, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, National Park Service, and Dumbarton House. She is passionate about preserving museum collections and historic sites and finding new ways to share them with the public-especially through social media and digital technology. Email: caitlinehepner@gmail.com Instagram: @caitlin.hepner Twitter: @MuseumCait

Cynthia Kurtz is in her final semester of the Master of Arts in Museums Studies at George Washington University, having previously earned her Bachelor’s degree at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. She has a strong focus on fine arts and the digital preservation thereof, but also enjoys developing thoughtful and impactful exhibitions on a variety of topics. She has previously interned at the National Sporting Museum and Library in Middleburg, VA, under the tutelage of George L. Orhstrom Jr., Head Curator Claudia Pfeiffer. When she isn’t studying or working in a museum, Cynthia enjoys riding her beloved horse Saint and building websites for nonprofit organizations. Connect on Twitter.

Mary McCulla is a Masters candidate at George Washington University’s Museum Studies program focusing in Exhibitions and Visitor Engagement. A Virginia native, Mary graduated from the College of William & Mary with a degree in Classical Archaeology. Currently, she is a project assistant with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), and she has previously worked at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Grey Towers National Historic Site, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, among others. Prioritizing diverse storytelling, intentional engagement, and universal accessibility, Mary strives to create exhibitions that will fascinate and inspire audiences. Connect on Twitter or via email.

Amy Pollard is a Museum Studies graduate student at George Washington University, concentrating in Exhibitions and Visitor Engagement. Amy completed her Bachelor of Arts in History at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She currently works as a Visitor Services Assistant at Tudor Place Historic House and Garden in Georgetown, DC. Her interests lie in enhancing the visitor experience and inspiring audiences through education programming. Connect on Twitter.

Rachel Rosenfeld is a Masters candidate at The George Washington University’s Museum Studies program focusing in Exhibitions and Visitor Engagement. She is originally from Roanoke, Virginia and earned her Bachelor of Arts in History and Film & Media Studies at the College of William & Mary. She has previously worked at the National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of American History, the National Archives & Records Administration, and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Rachel is passionate about inclusive exhibition development, sparking dialogue between museums and their visitors, and spotlighting the history of American popular culture in museums. Connect on Twitter.

Sheridan Small focuses on exhibitions and visitor engagement as a Master’s student in George Washington University’s Museum Studies program. She is originally from Chicago and has a BA in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked at the National Museum of American Jewish History and the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, the National Museum of American History in DC, and the Lee-Fendall House Museum in Alexandria. She is currently Education Manager at Dumbarton House, where she strives to increase representation of diverse perspectives through interactive, hands-on programming and design. You can connect with her on Twitter @SheridanSmall14.

Sydney Thatcher has a BA in Archaeology and Classical Studies from GWU and is pursuing a Master’s in Museum Studies at GWU with a concentration in exhibitions and visitor engagement. Sydney has grown up visiting and loving museums and uses this passion to make memorable moments for visitors in exhibitions, public programs, and informal classrooms. Email Sydney Twitter @museumophile