• Experienced museum educator with strong background in interpretation, presentation and tour development.  Well versed in state education standards, teacher workshop development and docent training.  Trained in Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS).
• Additional museum experience in collections management and development and exhibitions
• Practical coursework experience in physical and digital preservation, network analysis, grant writing and graphic and web design
• Excellent communication skills, both in terms of public speaking and written and oral correspondence
• Superb research skills, with experience with numerous research databases and EndNote annotation software
  

Master of Science in Information, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2011
Specializing in Preservation studies; coursework also included social memory, grant writing and material culture studies.  GPA 3.7

Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2011. GPA 8.0 (equivalent to an A)

Bachelor of Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2008
Concentration in Japanese Studies; additional coursework in LGBT studies and independent museum studies.  GPA 3.23

Summer 2011, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit MI
Jennifer Czajkowski, Executive Director of Learning and Interpretation
Worked with the education department to research implementation of in-house video games as learning tools. Performed an analysis of the internal database systems currently in use and made recommendations for streamlining systems. 

Summer 2010, Engaging Communities Internship, Safe Sound Archive, Philadelphia PA
George Blood, Owner
Developed short-term preservation guidelines for found audiovisual materials in museum collections. The final report covered preservation tactics intended to preserve found objects for a period no longer than six months.

Accomplishments and Experience

University of Michigan
January 2011-June 2011: Graduate Student Research Assistant
Paul L. Conway, Associate Professor

• Perform research on digital imaging, digital book collections, readability of e-readers, digitization quality and print on demand for libraries; write reports on findings
• Use EndNote to sort and annotate references
• Use multiple research resources, including Google Scholar, InfoTrac, LISA, ACM Portal and WilsonWeb to access research studies, articles and conference papers

University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA)
September 2005-April 2011: Assistant, Education, Collections and Exhibitions Departments
Pamela Reister, Associate Curator for Education

• Wrote eight object-based lesson plans, mostly focused on Asian objects, which are used extensively by the Education department for school outreach and docent education
• Wrote a feature article on the prints of Frank Stella for publication in the September 2011 UMMA museum bulletin
• Developed a “Lunchtime Tour” based on the concept of touch intended for University faculty; also conducted targeted tours on Japanese art for University faculty and students
• With docents, developed thematic on-site school tours
• Performed brief assessments for docent-led workshops
• Updated and edited EmbARK database entries; I also used EmbARK to access object information and print file notes, including past label copy
• As part of the museum’s grant writing team, developed presentations for National Endowment for the Humanities grants totaling $2 million.
• Developed three “sandbox” websites based on teacher workshops and touring exhibitions
• As a collections assistant, participated in a tagging project for the Open Collections at the museum and rehoused over 25 years’ worth of museum accession records
• As an exhibitions assistant, researched institutions for touring exhibitions, created the image checklist form for exhibitions based on Japanese ceramics and Chinese woodblock prints and edited the letters included with tour packets

September 2005-April 2007: Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP)
Research Assistant, University of Michigan Museum of Art

• 2005-2006: Designed a WebQuest, an Internet-based lesson plan with external links and internally guided activities, a grading rubric and Michigan Curriculum Standards compliance, based on artwork depicting the classic Japanese novel The Tale of Genji
• 2006-2007: Curated a virtual exhibition, “Music and Dance” – selected objects and wrote interpretive panels and label copy

Museums and the Modern Morality
Michigan Museum Association Annual Conference, October 2011
I will be speaking about the role of museums in displaying modern contentious issues.  My talk will discuss the responsibilities of museums to inform their publics about current events and how museums, as neutral public areas, can instruct more ably than other outlets including media and traditional education venues.

Video Games as Museum Interpretative Tools: Preliminary Research
University of Michigan Museum Studies Brown Bag Lecture Series, September 2011
I will be giving a talk on using self-developed video games as museum interpretative tools, covering historical examples, the use of games in general education, accessibility and research on learning through gameplay.  Additionally, I will discuss elements of good gameplay in relation to museum environments and audiences.

Frank Stella: The Short-Short Guide
University of Michigan Museum of Art Docent Corps, December 2009
I presented a two-hour workshop with a show-and-tell component covering the entire career of artist Frank Stella.  Presentation focused on stylistic evolution, methods of printmaking and sculpture, attention to materials and art theory relevant to Stella’s work, life and historical context.

Fair Lane Estate, January-April 2011
With one of my colleagues I developed a plan to help the Fair Lane Estate (Henry and Clara Ford’s home) retain its audience base through targeted social media programs, a Crowdrise fundraising page, redevelopment of their website and a closer look at programming to include activities the Fords enthusiastically pursued. I presented my findings to the Fair Lane Estate and as a lecture to all Museum Studies students and alumni.

7-FAST Outcome-based Evaluation, January-April 2010
Part of a team which examined end-user satisfaction with 7-FAST library loan/copy services. Assessment scope included website interface, clarity of copies/scans, speed of service, use statistics and the use of 7-FAST amid other research tools.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens/Nichols Arboretum, September-December 2008
Managed project to assess internal communications network and coordination with affiliates; developed models to demonstrate incoming/outgoing communication streams; made recommendations to improve communication

Men of Metal: African Metallurgy, September-December 2006 (development), March-December 2007 (display)
Curated and installed a three panel exhibit in the Ruthven Museum based on the work of anthropologist Dr. Augustin Holl. Exhibit displayed archeological findings pertinent to metallurgy in Burkina Faso ca. 2000 BCE-present, and incorporated panel text, physical objects and images.

The Tale of Genji WebQuest, September 2005-April 2006
Designed WebQuest (Internet-based online lesson plan) focused on the classic Japanese novel the Tale of Genji and its related artwork (WebQuest is currently located at http://www-personal.umich.edu/~ktlowe/)

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
American Association of Museums
Human Rights Campaign

Team Frost Relay for Life, March-August 2011
I co-captained an American Cancer Society Relay for Life team founded in honor of University of Michigan School of Information professor Robert L. “Bob” Frost. I was in charge of coordinating and leading fundraising efforts, acting as the main point of contact for donors and supporters, gathering donations for the team’s silent auction and ice cream social fundraisers and representing the team at all American Cancer Society meetings and events.  Our team raised $12,540.89, with all proceeds donated to cancer research.