How My Interest Developed

Visiting museums wasn't a childhood interest; they made my feet hurt. Too much walking, too little of interest.

It started with the opening of the much-ballyhooed East Wing to the National Gallery of Art. As an architecture buff, I had to see I.M. Pei's masterpiece. But what really intrigued me was the art inside...and how little I knew about it.

My interest went into full swing after my first trip to Europe, where I had a daily dose of 2 to 3 museums a day. I realized how little I knew about western culture; television network didn't present many shows with that theme.

Immediately afterwards, I moved to a small city. On monthly trips to the nearest metropolis, I'd soak in the museums as a way of expanding my mind but, just as importantly, connecting with a larger world from which I felt disconnected.

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How I Hope to Make a Difference in Museums

• Design exhibits that creatively present material about the social sciences (I have designs, now all I need are planning funds and a sponsoring museum).
• Design exhibits that relevantly present material about the natural sciences and history (I have designs, all I need are the museums).
• Researching and reporting on creative design techniques: what they are, how they affect visitors, and how other designers might adapt these techniques

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What I've Accomplished Already

• Chaired the member's auxiliary of Atlanta's Fernbank Science Center and Natural History Museum; oversaw a restructuring of the Board and a transition from volunteer to professional management
• Completed a dissertation that explored how designers develop museum exhibits.
• Developed initial proposals for several exhibits on the social and natural sciences.

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