DR. DEREK BRUCE FISH
Posted Feb 8, 2023
Derek began his career teaching high school Science and Math. Since then he has enjoyed running Unizulu Science Centre in Richards Bay, South Africa, for more than 30 years. He has presented science shows all over the world and attended all eight of the Science Centre World Congresses, on every continent. He has represented Africa… (Read more)
Matt Donahue
Posted Mar 3, 2022
Matt Donahue is an investment banker and financial adviser to local governments in Oregon where he serves as a commissioner on Multnomah County’s Tax Supervising and Conservation Commission. Matt graduated from Harvard College cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Afro-American Studies. He also holds an MBA with a focus in finance from the… (Read more)
Sue Ellen McCann
Posted Feb 24, 2022
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sue Ellen McCann is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Learning Innovation. She spent 35 years immersed in the field of media, working with a variety of media organizations including KQED, Studio Miramar and the Center for Investigative Reporting. She is the retired Executive in Charge, Science,… (Read more)
Nicole Claudio
Posted Feb 15, 2021
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Nicole Claudio is a Research Associate at the Institute for Learning Innovation. Raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Nicole studied anthropology at Loyola University Chicago where she discovered a passion for research that strengthens community relationships. This led Nicole to earn her Master’s degree in museum studies and specialization in… (Read more)
Nik Honeysett-BOARD CHAIRMAN
Posted Jan 26, 2021
Nik Honeysett is the CEO of BPOC, a San Diego-based, non-profit consultancy that connects audiences to art, culture, and science. BPOC provides technology support and development services, as well as business and digital strategy for the cultural sector. Previously, Nik was the Head of Administration for the Getty Museum. He is a former board member… (Read more)
Tara Chklovski
Posted Jan 25, 2021
Tara Chklovski is CEO of Technovation, a nonprofit that has empowered 370,000 underserved participants across 100+ countries to tackle local problems using cutting-edge technologies (mobile and AI). She led the 2020 Global Online Education Taskforce to address education needs during COVID, the 2019 education track at the UN’s AI for Good Global Summit, presented at… (Read more)
Barry VanDeman
Posted Nov 16, 2020
Barry A. Van Deman is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Learning Innovation and President & CEO of the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, North Carolina. Currently, Barry also serves as President of the North Carolina Science Network, representing 45 science and children’s museums and affiliated organizations across North Carolina. Previously, Barry… (Read more)
Kimberly Young
Posted Sep 21, 2020
Kimberly Young is a Senior Fellow at ILI and the Executive Director of Continuing and Professional Studies at the University of Mary Washington where she is responsible for graduate, non-credit, and degree completion programs. Kimberly is the chairwoman of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library Board, a council member for the Virginia State Region 6 Growth Opportunity Council, and a facilitator the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber’s… (Read more)
Eliza Jane Reilly
Posted Sep 14, 2020
Eliza Jane Reilly is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Learning Innovation and currently the Director of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement (NCSCE), which is committed to advancing STEM learning in both formal and contexts by connecting science and technology to civic challenges of direct relevance to learners. She was the… (Read more)
Valerie Grosman
Posted Jul 31, 2020
Born in France, Valerie now enjoys working remotely and splitting her time between both France and Canada. Her expertise includes organizational administration, budgeting, fund allocation, grant administration, accounts payable and receivable, and general accounting. Valerie enjoys organizational challenges, and streamlining processes. She takes pride in her essential role, assisting project teams with financial management, allowing… (Read more)
Tom Owen- IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
Posted Jul 26, 2019
Tom Owen is our Board Chairman and currently the Senior Vice President at PGAV Destinations. Tom provides strategic insights and creative leadership for a wide range of cultural institutions. In his 30 year career as a planner and designer of destinations, Tom has used his passion for translating stories of nature, history, and culture into… (Read more)
Lynn Dierking Ph.D.
Posted Jul 26, 2019
Based in Corvallis, Oregon, Dr. Lynn D. Dierking is a Principal Researcher at the Institute for Learning Innovation, and an Emeritus Sea Grant Professor of Free-Choice STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Learning in the Colleges of Science and Education at Oregon State University (OSU). Dr. Dierking is internationally recognized for her research in lifelong… (Read more)
John H. Falk Ph.D.
Posted Jul 26, 2019
Based in Corvallis, OR, John H. Falk is the Founder and CEO of the Institute for Learning Innovation and Emeritus Sea Grant Professor of Free-Choice Learning at Oregon State University. He is a leading expert on free-choice learning; the learning that occurs when people have significant choice and control over what, where and when they… (Read more)
Jeremy Babendure Ph.D.
Posted Jul 26, 2019
Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Dr. Jeremy Babendure is the Executive Director of the Arizona Technology Council Foundation, the Annual Arizona SciTech Initiative, Associate Professor of Molecular Sciences at ASU and a research fellow at ILI. The annual AZ SciTech festival includes over 800 collaborators, 2000 events and draws 500,000+ participants. Most recently Jeremy has launched… (Read more)
Elysa Corin Ph.D.
Posted Jul 26, 2019
Sr. Researcher, Elysa Corin is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and is dedicated to exploring the power of free-choice learning. Her work primarily focuses on self-directed learning in science and explores the resources, tools, and environments that support interest-driven learning across the lifespan. She is passionate about forging relationships and partnerships among organizations and… (Read more)
Eve Klein M.Ed.
Posted Jul 26, 2019
Based in Seattle, Washington, Eve Klein (M.Ed.) is Program Director for the NSF-funded collaborative research grant Partnerships for Broader Impacts Design, which explores partnerships between universities and informal science education organizations as a way of helping researchers fulfill their Broader Impacts requirements and serve their local community. Since 2014, Klein has also leds the Portal… (Read more)
Judith Koke
Posted Jul 26, 2019
Based in Toronto, Canada, Judith Koke is a dynamic leader in the free choice learning ecosystem, with a strong track record of creating organizational change through the integration of visitor research into evidence-based decision-making. As evidenced by her leadership roles at the Art Gallery of Ontario and The Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, Judith challenges museums to… (Read more)
Dennis Schatz M.S.
Posted Jul 26, 2019
Based in Seattle, Washington, Dennis Schatz is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Learning Innovation. He spent more than 40 years at the Pacific Science Center in a number of leadership positions, including Senior Vice President for Program Development. He is the Past President of the NSTA (National Science Teaching Association) board of directors,… (Read more)
Monae Verbeke Ph.D.
Posted Jul 26, 2019
Based in Chicago, Illinois, Monae has worked in the field of informal science education for nearly a decade. In this last decade, Monae has evaluated a wide-range of arts and science programs, using multi-method approaches to gauge their impacts on dimensions of emotional, interest and understanding. Monae loves to use her interdisciplinary background, as both… (Read more)
Debbie Siegel Ph.D.
Posted Jul 26, 2019
Based in Bend, Oregon, Debbie Siegel is a learning scientist with a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Throughout her career, she has had numerous professional positions within academic research, applied research, and evaluation examining formal and informal learning experiences. Taking a sociocultural approach, in her work, she emphasizes studying… (Read more)