InformalScience | About Informal Science

Barbara Butler has a Ph.D. in anthropology from Southern Methodist University. During her career she has served as an associate professor of anthropology and of the Historical Collection of the history museum, the Associate Director of the Museum Studies Program and Director of the University Gallery, director of the Delaware Museum of Natural History, and program director and section head of the Science Literacy Section for the National Science Foundation. She consults with several informal learning organizations and associations and is currently on the Board of the Maxwell Museum Association, University of New Mexico and the University art museum.

Richard Duschl is a Professor of Science Education at Rutgers University. Prior to joining the Rutgers faculty, he held the chair of Science Education at King's College London, and prior to that was Professor of Science Education at Vanderbilt University. One focus of his research examines how the history and philosophy of science can be applied to science education. The research agenda is to better understand the social and cognitive dynamics for making science classrooms inquiry and epistemic communities. A second focus of his research is the design of instructional sequences that promote assessment for learning.

John H. Falk is Sea Grant Professor of Free-Choice Learning at Oregon State University; he is also President Emeritus of the Institute for Learning Innovation. He received a joint doctorate in Biology and Education from the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Falk is internationally known for his research on how people learn outside of school. He has authored over one hundred scholarly articles and chapters in the areas of learning, biology, and education, more than a dozen books, as well as helped to create several nationally important out-of-school educational curricula. Before founding the Institute for Learning Innovation, Dr. Falk worked at the Smithsonian Institution for fourteen years where he held a number of senior positions.

For more information, visit John Falk's Academic Website.

Richard Hudson is the Director of Science Production at TPT-Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minnesota. He oversees TPT's science productions for both adults and children. Current projects include DragonflyTV GPS "Going Places in Science" - a PBS series for children taped on location in science museums - and a new documentary, "Exploring Time." He was Series Producer and then Executive Producer of the Emmy-award winning PBS science series, Newton's Apple, and has also directed the creation of a range of science-learning products, from CD-ROMs to hands-on science kits to printed resources for teachers.

Julie Johnson is the Science Museum of Minnesota's first John Roe Chair of Museum Leadership. She helps to further the implementation museum goals, provides support and leadership in the areas of planning, programming, personnel development and collaboration. From 2003-2005 Johnson was Program Officer at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the Elementary, Secondary and Informal Education Division. Concurrent with the assignment at NSF, Johnson was the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer for the NJ Academy for Aquatic Sciences, operators of the New Jersey State Aquarium, where she had been since its opening in 1992.

Mary Marcussen is a project design specialist, museum educator, and scientist with more than 25 years of experience in informal science education. She is the former National Grants Manager for the California Academy of Sciences, during which time she launched her current grant writing business. Her combination of expertise in museum education, scientific research, and fundraising transforms creative ideas into nationally competitive grant proposals. She specializes in National Science Foundation funding and has helped to win over $60 million to support museum exhibitions, planetarium shows, radio programs, large format films, community and youth programs, and informal learning research.

For more information, visit Marcussen & Associates.

Paul Martin is Vice President for Exhibits and is responsible for directing the Science Museum of Minnesota's efforts to develop, design, and produce exhibits and related science learning opportunities. These efforts focus on visitors to SMM's museum in St. Paul, users of its national touring exhibitions and partnerships with other museums and educational organizations. Over the past 30 years Paul has been involved in the evolution of exhibitions as a medium for engaging visitors in interactive learning through many innovative museum and exhibition projects. He has worked with over 50 museums and science centers.

Kathleen McLean is principal of Independent Exhibitions, a museum consulting firm specializing in museum exhibition design, programming, and strategic planning. From January 1994 through September 2004 she was the Director of the Center for Public Exhibition and Public Programs at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, California. In addition, Kathy serves as the President-Elect of the Visitor Studies Association. For 30 years, she has designed and developed a wide range of exhibitions for public audiences in museums of history, art, and science, as well as interdisciplinary and children's museums.

Angela Wenger is Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at the NJ Academy for Aquatic Sciences. She holds an MS in Marine Science and BS in Physiology. Her professional experience includes twenty years of scientific research and teaching of a myriad of science topics as well as family learning in museums. She has been part of the Philadelphia-Camden Informal Science Education Collaborative (PISEC), a four museum and 8 community-based organization partnership, for 14 years. Her particular area of interest lies in access to science education for under served audiences. Currently, she chairs the Mid-Atlantic YouthALIVE! Network.