The Visitor Studies Group

Chair

Helen is a science communicator with over ten years experience in the field. She has recently completed a PhD exploring public engagement with climate change, and is currently a Content and Visitor Researcher at At-Bristol and a Research Fellow at the Science Communication Unit at the University of the West of England, Bristol. She joined the VSG committee as Deputy Chair in 2009.

Helen Featherstone

Science Communicator

At-Bristol/ Univeristy of the West of England

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Deputy Chair

Elaine joined Amgueddfa Cymru in 2000. She is currently responsible for the Museum’s new public engagement and consultation scheme, which is part of its recently revised governance structure and Royal Charter. Since 1999, Elaine has been a Board member and freelance consultant for visual arts and craft organisations in England and Wales, and holds a BA in Photography (University of Wales Newport), and an Advanced Diploma in Arts Management (Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama). Elaine has been a helper and member of the VSG committee since 2008.

Elaine Cabuts

Museum Secretary

Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales

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Membership Secretary

(and Web Content Co-Ordinator)

Emily is exploring social exclusion from public engagement with science for her PhD at King's College London. She spent two years as a research associate at the Science Communication Unit at UWE, on a combination of engagement and research projects. Emily has a Museum Studies MA from Leicester University and has worked for a range of museums including the Costume Museum (Bath), the Royal Institution and MA research at the Natural History Museum. Emily is also a Visitor Scholar at Stanford University. Emily has been a helper and member of the VSG committee since 2008.

Emily Dawson

PhD Research Student

King's College London

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Treasurer

Jen is currently a researcher at King's College London, focusing on students' aspirations in science. She also has experience in exhibit and programme development and evaluation and has previously worked for Scholastic, the New York Botanical Garden and the Children's Museum of Houston. Jen holds a BA in Psychology (Brown University), an MA in Developmental Psychology (UCLA) and has completed a PhD and post-doc in Science Education which focused on school trips (King's College London, Centre for Informal Learning and Schools). Jen has been a helper and member of the VSG committee since 2008.

Jen DeWitt

Researcher

King's College London

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Committee Member (Web Content Assistant)

Melissa works part time at the V&A as the Visitor Research Assistant and part time in the regional programmes department at the Museum of London as a Museum Development Officer, Networks and Training. At the V&A Melissa supports evaluation programmes across the Museum, including visitor profiling and evaluation for FuturePlan projects. At the Museum of London Melissa manages skills sharing, training and communication in the London region. In 2009 Melissa completed an MA in Museum Studies from Leicester University in which her dissertation investigated the differences in visitor behaviour in pair and free museum spaces. Melissa has been a member of the VSG committee since 2010.

Melissa Bentley

Visitor Research Assistant and Museum Development Office: Networks and Training.

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Committee Member

Sofie works as an Audience Researcher at the Science Museum. She has conducted formative evaluation for the interactive Launchpad gallery, prototype testing exhibits, interpretation methods and the associated website. She has also been involved in researching audience needs for web projects, and evaluating teacher’s courses and Outreach programmes. Sofie previously worked freelance as a museum educator at institutions such as the Museum of Immigration and Diversity and the British Museum. She has been a VSG committee helper and member since 2008.

Sofie Davis

Audience Researcher

Science Museum, London

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Committee Member

Kate has over 25 years of experience working in museums, initially as a curator and an education officer and, for the last 11 years, as a consultant in visitor studies. She has worked with a wide range of museums - from the London Nationals to small local voluntary run museums - and enjoys helping develop improved experiences for visitors. She is also interested in developing qualitative approaches to evaluating informal learning, and is a tutor on the distance learning masters courses in the Museum Studies Department, at the University of Leicester. Kate, an FMA, is also a mother, school governor and dog walker. She has previously been a VSG committee member and chair.

Kate Pontin

Committee Helper

Susie is an audience consultant, specialising in qualitative evaluation. What interests her professionally is understanding how audiences relate to difficult concepts, how to engage people with them, and how to use objects to tell stories. Clients include the Science Museum, The V&A, King’s Place, the Design Council, the British Library and the Royal College of Pathologists. Susie is a graduate of Oxford and Harvard, studying psychology, philosophy and education. She is a founder member and former Chair of the VSG, and rejoined the committee as a helper in 2009.

Susie Fisher

Director

The Susie Fisher Group

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Committee Helper

Sheena is a Director of Scotinform Ltd, an independent full service research company based in Edinburgh. Through her work with Historic Scotland, National Museums Scotland and National Trust for Scotland Sheena has utilised qualitative and quantitative methodologies to gain insight into visitor behaviour, to inform the development of new exhibitions/galleries and to measure generic learning outcomes. She is a member of the Market Research Society, the Marketing Society and Association for Qualitative Research. Sheena has been a member of VSG since 2007 and through her membership has enjoyed the opportunity to network with those in the visitor studies sector and share experiences.

Sheena Muncie

Director

Scotinform Ltd.

Committee Helper

Elee is currently carrying out a PhD in Museum Studies at the University of Leicester, researching ways of understanding young children's experiences of natural history museums. She is also a freelance museum and science communication educator and researcher. Prior to this she worked in museum learning at the Thackray Medical Museum in Leeds and at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum. She has a MSc in Science, Culture and Communication from the University of Bath (2001). She has been a helper on the VSG committee since 2011.

Elee Kirk

PhD Research Student

University of Leicester

Committee Helper

Committee Helper

Mary Canham

Historic Royal Palaces