TATIANA AUSEMA
Senior Program Officer, National Endowment for the Humanities
Tatiana Ausema is a Senior Program Officer in NEH’s Office of Challenge Programs, focusing on infrastructure and climate-related initiatives. Before joining NEH, Tatiana worked at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden as a research conservator specializing in modern paint and paintings. Between 2007 and 2010 she also worked in the Hirshhorn’s Collection Management department, focusing on collection-wide preventive conservation and digitization efforts. Tatiana holds MSc and BA degrees in Art Conservation from the University of Delaware and has held fellowships at the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage, Western Center for the Conservation of Fine Art, and the Getty Conservation Institute.
GREG COWPER
Entomologist
Greg Cowper is an Entomologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, where he and his colleagues manage an acclaimed insect collection numbering approximately four million specimens. He is currently working on the Institute for Museum and Library Services grant funded project Otteo: The Digitization of the Grasshopper and Cricket Sound Archives of Daniel Otte, a project to save 30 years of analog field recordings from around the world. Mr. Cowper has completed fieldwork in New Zealand, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and the eastern and southwestern United States. His interests include Orthoptera, the grasshoppers, crickets and katydids, and Hemiptera, the true bugs.
CLAIRE DEAN
Preventive Conservation student and Curatorial Assistant
Claire Dean is a Preventive Conservation student and a Curatorial Assistant in the Natural Science Collections at Tullie House, a museum and gallery in North West England. Claire is retraining in Conservation after previously working as a Lecturer in English and Creative Writing, and has a PhD in materials and technologies for environmental storytelling.
MARIANA DI GIACOMO, PhD
Natural History Conservator
Mariana Di Giacomo, PhD is the Natural History Conservator at the Yale Peabody Museum and Chair of the Conservation at Yale Steering Committee of the Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage. She was born in Uruguay, where she completed her B.S and M.S. in Biology and Zoology, respectively, at the Universidad de la República, both degrees with concentrations in Vertebrate Paleontology. While in Uruguay, Mariana worked in the Arroyo del Vizcaíno Collection, a fossil collection of Pleistocene mammals that has remarkable preservation and complicated field logistics, performing collections management and preparation tasks. This work inspired her to continue her studies in the conservation of fossils. She completed her PhD in Preservation Studies at the University of Delaware, where she also taught classes on collections documentation and natural history conservation. During this time, she also spent three years as a Conservation Fellow at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Mariana is involved as a volunteer in several organizations such as the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections and APOYOnline. She is an advocate for the care and conservation of natural history collections, working with colleagues from around the world.
MOYA DUMVILLE
Paper Conservator and Risk Analysis Advisor
Moya Dumville is a Paper Conservator and Risk Analysis Advisor at Protect Heritage, as well as a Professor of Conservation at the Fleming College Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management program. She studied chemistry and art history and earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia before completing her Master’s Degree in Art Conservation at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, with a specialization in works of art on paper.
Moya has worked at the Northeast Document Conservation Center in Andover, Massachusetts, and in Saint John, New Brunswick on the Conservation Award-winning Miller Britain Mural Cartoons Project. She spent 5 years working with West Lake Conservators in Skaneateles, NY, before returning to Kingston to join Protect Heritage. She has presented her research at the American Institute for Conservation and the Canadian Association for Conservation of Cultural Property. She works with local heritage societies offering guidance on storage, housing and handling of collections She is a board member of Heritage Kingston and the Kingston Community Garden and Food Forest.
J. HENRY FAIR
Photographer
J Henry Fair uses pictures to tell stories about people and things that affect people.
He is based in New York City and Berlin, but travels constantly.
His recent book, Industrial Scars: The Hidden Costs of Consumption, published by Papadakis of London, is in to its second edition. His new book, the first of the “Coastline” series, On The Edge: From Combahee To Winyah, was published in spring 2019 to fantastic review.
Speaking about his “Industrial Scars” series, Roberta Smith, chief art critic of The New York Times said, “The vivid color photographs of J Henry Fair lead an uneasy double life as potent records of environmental pollution and as ersatz evocations of abstract painting…information and form work together, to devastating effect.”
SHANNON M. FIE
Co-Chair, Department of Anthropology, Beloit College
Shannon M. Fie is the Co-Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin where she teaches courses in anthropology, archaeology, and material culture studies. She also holds a research appointment in the Logan Museum of Anthropology and teaches in the Museum Studies Program. As an archaeologist trained in the study of ancient Native American sites, she assists the college in reporting disturbances and requesting and monitoring maintenance work within the Beloit College Mound Group. Dr. Fie earned her B.A. in Anthropology from Minnesota State University Moorhead and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University at Buffalo-SUNY.
LACEY FLINT
Archivist and Curator of Research
Lacey Flint is the Archivist and Curator of Research Collections at The Explorers Club. She also works as a contributing curator on the Discovery Channel’s Tales from The Explorers Club and the Travel Channel's Mysteries at the Museum. Previous tenures include positions with the UK’s Royal Collection Trust, Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, and USHMM. Lacey received her MA in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester and currently serves on the NYCMER Board of Trustees.
SUSAN GLASSMAN
Executive Director
Susan Glassman is the Executive Director of the Wagner Free Institute of Science in Philadelphia. She serves on the board of the Consortium for History of Science, Technology and Medicine (CHSTM) and the Advisory Board of the Penn Museum. She prepared the National Historic Landmark nominations for the Wagner Free Institute of the Science and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
BEN GOLDMAN
University Archivist
Ben Goldman is the University Archivist in the Special Collections Library at Penn State University. His research explores the intersection of archives, climate change, and the environment.
DONNA GRAVES
Independent Historian, Urban Planner
Donna Graves is an independent historian and urban planner based in Berkeley, CA. She develops interdisciplinary public history projects that emphasize social justice and sense of place using preservation, exhibits, film, publications and the arts.
Graves was instrumental in establishing and developing Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, CA. She co-authored a citywide study of LGBTQ historic places in San Francisco and contributed a chapter to the National Park Service’s LGBTQ National Theme Study. She serves on the Board of Advisors for the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Graves is currently co-leading a project “History and Hope: Interpreting the Roots of Our Climate Crisis,” to create a toolkit supporting National Park Service interpreters and educators expand their work to center people and historical narratives, including a strong climate justice lens. In 2022, she was a Fulbright Specialist in the UK exploring new approaches for heritage in the climate emergency.
ELAINA HEATON
Research Student
Elaina Heaton graduated from Beloit College (‘22) with B.A. in Anthropology and Environmental Studies. At Beloit, she was a founding member and later co-president of Campus Mounds Sustainability and Advocacy Initiative (CMSAI) which seeks to educate the college community about the Native American burial mounds on campus and Native culture and history. Currently, she is a research student with the Jordan-Israel Center for Communication, Environment, and Research at the Arava Institute in Israel where she is working to build a connection between the Southern Jordianan and Israeli communities through research, policy engagement, as well as environmental and sustainable development.
JULIA HWANG
Beloit College Graduate
Julia Hwang graduated from Beloit College (’22) with a B.A. in Anthropology and Museum Studies. Her interests lie in cultural anthropology, contemporary modern museum practices and collections, and Indigenous collaborations in museums. At Beloit, she researched and practiced these engagements as co-president of the Campus Mounds Sustainability and Advocacy Initiative and Museum Club, special project research, and work in the Logan Museum. Going forward, she plans to continue working to develop decolonizing practices in museums, institutions, and culture in our society by inviting BIPOC and LGBTQI+ voices.
TASHA JAMES
Ethanol and Relocation Technician
Tasha James is an ethanol and relocation technician at The Australian National Herbarium, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). She is an environmental scientist who has been working for nearly two years on curating and making the ethanol collection safe and usable. She has a strong interest in issues related to climate change and the conservation of Australian flora. She received research honors in applied science from the University of Canberra, from which she graduated in 2020.
REBECCA A. KACZKOWSKI
Preventive Conservator
Rebecca A. Kaczkowski is the Preventive Conservator at the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute, where her projects relate to exhibits conservation, museum environments, collections care and storage, and training. Hired in 2015 into a newly established position, Becky facilitates collaboration across the Institution via a research program focused on collections stewardship. She recently served as an inaugural member of the Preparedness and Response in Collections Emergencies team, an initiative enhancing collections emergency resilience, and currently co-chairs the Preservation Environments Subcommittee of the Smithsonian Collections Space Committee, an interdisciplinary partnership developing and promoting sustainable practices for collections preservation environments. She earned an M.S. in art conservation from the University of Delaware and holds a B.A. in art history and German language & literature and an M.A. in museum studies from The George Washington University. Becky is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation; she currently serves AIC as Chair of the Materials Selection & Specification Working Group and the Membership Committee.
LARA KAPLAN
Objects Conservator
Lara Kaplan received her M.S. in Art Conservation from the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC) in 2003, majoring in objects conservation. Following a post-graduate fellowship at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, she operated a Baltimore-based conservation business, working with institutions and private clients throughout the region. She also worked as a conservation educator, leading courses and lecturing at universities in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area, and serving as affiliated faculty at WUDPAC, where she focused her teaching on organic materials.
Lara joined the staff at Winterthur Museum in 2019, caring for collection objects and continuing to teach at WUDPAC. In both roles, she emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and issues of diversity and inclusion. Her research interests include the technical analysis of organic materials, especially skin and leather, the identification and treatment of plastics, and conservation ethics.
DR. RICHARD MCCOURT
Botany Curator
Dr. Richard McCourt has been a Botany curator at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel since1996 and a professor in the Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES) Department since its founding at Drexel University in 2012.
Professor McCourt's research program targets the biodiversity, evolution, ecology, and systematics of green algae, specifically green algae that are among the closest living algal relatives of land plants. In addition, he curates the plant collection of the Lewis and Clark expedition and has written about the history of the botanical results from their journey. Rick's contributions are widely recognized; he is the author and co-author of over a hundred highly cited articles published in prominent, peer-reviewed scientific journals.
McCourt worked for six years at the National Science Foundation as a program director in the Divisions of Biological Science and Education and Human Resources. He also served as president and chair of the Board of Trustees for the Phycological Society of America and other environmental organizations. Before coming to Drexel, Rick was a faculty member at DePaul University in Chicago; he taught evolutionary biology and ecology courses and mentored graduate, undergraduate, and co-op students in his laboratory.
Rick writes for popular magazines such as Discover and Outside; he has also co-edited the book The New Science Journalists with Ted Anton, a professor of English at DePaul University.
Earlier in his career, Rick worked as a science journalist and reported on science, sports, and arts at National Public Radio. In 1985 he won the AAAS Westinghouse Award for Science Journalism in Radio for a series on aquaculture broadcast on National Public Radio.
NICOLETTE B. MEISTER
Director and NAGPRA Coordinator
Nicolette B. Meister is Director of and NAGPRA Coordinator for the Logan Museum of Anthropology at Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin. She is Chair of the Museum Studies Program and annually teaches Collections Management and Care. In addition, she is Faculty Director of the Center for Collections Care, a hands-on summer program for museum, library, archive, and conservation professionals. Ms. Meister holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and a M.S. in Anthropology and Museum & Field Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
WILLIAM “NĄĄWĄCEKǦIZE” QUACKENBUSH
Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Cultural Resources Division Manager
William “Nąąwącekǧize” Quackenbush, Ho-Chunk Deer Clan Member, is the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Cultural Resources Division Manager for the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin. In addition, Mr. Quakenbush serves as the NAGPRA designee alternative, ground penetrating radar operator, and Ho-Chunk National tribal historian and monitor. He is also President of the Wisconsin Intertribal Repatriations Committee.
ELEONORA SERMONETA
Adult Learning Programmer
Over the past fifteen years, Eleonora Sermoneta has worked in museums and cultural institutions in Italy, Canada, United States, United Kingdom, and Luxembourg, and has developed extensive experience in community-centred and inclusive programming. In her current position as the Adult Programmer at the Royal Alberta Museum, Eleonora develops programs and experiences for a variety of adult learners, including post-secondary-students, seniors, and newcomers. As a member of the Canadian Heritage Digitization Strategy Advisory Committee, Eleonora advocates for increased public access to cultural heritage through digital technology. Her scholarly and professional interests include critical museology, cultural policy, community engagement and participatory processes.
JOHN E. SIMMONS
Museum Study Instructor, Author
John E. Simmons has a B.A. in Systematics & Ecology and an M.A. in Museum Studies. He began his career as a zookeeper at the Fort Worth Zoological Park before becoming collections manager at the California Academy of Sciences and later at the Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas, where he also served as Director of the Museum Studies Program until 2007. John is the recipient of the Superior Voluntary Service Award from AAM (2001), the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Mentoring of Graduate Students from the University of Kansas (2005), the Carolyn L. Rose Award for Outstanding Commitment to Natural History Collections and Management from the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (2011), the Dudley-Wilkinson Award of Distinction from the Registrars Committee of the American Alliance of Museums (2016), and the Spiritus Award for Excellence in Service and Management of Herpetological and Ichthyological Collections from the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (2019). John has published more than 150 papers and several books, including Cuidado, Manejo y Conservacion de las Colecciones Biologicas (2005, with Yaneth Munoz-Saba), Fluid Preservation: A Comprehensive Reference (2014), Foundations of Museum Studies: Evolving Systems of Knowledge (2014, with Kiersten Latham), Herpetological Collecting and Collections Management (3rd edition, 2015), Museums: A History (2016), Things Great and Small: Collections Management Policies (2nd edition, 2017), the 6th edition of Museum Registration Methods (with Toni Kiser, 2020), Best Practices in the Preservation and Management of Fluid-Preserved Biological Collections (with Dirk Neumann, Julian Carter, and Oliver Crimmen, 2022), and the chapter on "Collections Management: History, Theory, and Practice" in The International Handbooks of Museum Studies (2015). John runs Museologica (a museum consulting service); teaches museum studies for Michigan State University, the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and Museum Study LLC; and serves as Associate Curator of Collections at the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery at Penn State University.
JULIANNE SNIDER
Director, Collections Manager, Site Conservator
Julianne Snider has more than 25 years of experience working with collections as director of the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery (Penn State), as collections manager at the Illinois State Museum, as site conservator for the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and as curator of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators traveling collection. She has been associate editor of the journal of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, Collection Forum, and has presented at ARCS, SPNHC, ICOM-NatHist, SMA, and MAAM meetings. Julianne holds a B.A. in fine arts (Indiana University—Bloomington), a Graduate Certificate in Museum Collections Management (George Washington University), and a Ph.D. in Science Education (Penn State).
SARAH SUTTON
Co-Founder/CEO, Environment & Culture Partners (ECP)
Sarah Sutton is co-founder and CEO of Environment & Culture Partners (ECP), a US-based nonprofit advancing cultural section action on environmental and climate issues through cohorts and partnerships. Sarah is part of AIC’s Held in Trust initiative as co-chair of the Climate Crisis Working Group. ECP participates in a number of cooperative grants addressing climate action and cultural institutions, including two IMLS grants: Caretakers of Wonder, focusing on children’s museums and their climate engagement and action, and Culture over Carbon, establishing a carbon footprint for the museum sector, and creates a roadmap to clean energy and energy efficient museums nationwide. ECP coordinates the US Cultural Sector for America is All In, and took part in the 2021 IPCC-UNESCO-ICOMOS International Co-Sponsored Meeting on Culture, Heritage and Climate Change. https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/2390
DIANA TIRLEA
Assistant Curator
Diana Tirlea has worked as the Assistant Curator of Quaternary Environments at the Royal Alberta Museum since 2012, where she works to maintain the diverse collections, including the Seed and Pollen Reference Collections. She conducts research primarily focused on the reconstruction of past landscapes in the Canadian Rockies during the past 12,000 years. This research is completed through the identification of subfossil pollen grains and plant macrofossils, such as seeds and leaves, preserved in lake sediment, organic deposits, and ice. Some of the exciting projects she is currently working on include recovered plant material from ~7,000 years old ice patches in Jasper National Park, subfossil pollen and plant material preserved in a +10,000 year old bushy-tailed woodrat’s midden, and modern pollen recovered from rangeland pollinators, such as bees and flies.
ROBERT WALLER
President and Senior Risk Analyst, Protect Heritage Corp.
Robert Waller is President and Senior Risk Analyst with Protect Heritage Corp., a firm dedicated to helping institutions and organizations improve heritage management. His career included 33 years with the Canadian Museum of Nature. He holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Property Risk Analysis from Göteborg University and has taught, lectured, and served as a consultant at museums and universities throughout the world. He is professionally accredited by CAPC, a Professional Associate of AIC, and a Fellow of IIC.
JESSICA WALTHEW
Objects Conservator
Jessica Walthew is an objects conservator at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. She completed her MA at NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Center and postgraduate fellowships at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bard Graduate Center and American Museum of Natural History. Since joining Cooper Hewitt, she works primarily with Product Design and Decorative Arts and Digital departments, with particular research interests in digital media, plastics, and especially bioplastics.
HARRISON WICK
Special Collections Librarian and University Archivist
Since 2007, Harrison Wick has served as the Special Collections Librarian and University Archivist at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) in Indiana, Pennsylvania. In addition to graduate degrees in Library Science and History, Dr. Wick earned his doctorate in Administration and Leadership Studies in 2018. The IUP Special Collections and University Archives has collection strengths in Pennsylvania history, transportation, and industrial heritage. His research interests include logistics, Civil War history, and he has written three books about Pennsylvania history.