Part Time Position - The Museology Graduate Program

If interested in this post, please contact Kris Morrissey, Director, Museology Graduate Program, Morriss8@u.washington.edu

The Museology Graduate Program is looking for a part-time worker to oversee evaluation projects that Museology Graduate Students will be conducting in local museums. The position will be posted through the university soon. They're looking for someone with a background in research and evaluation. It is a 3 year position funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The position has not been approved yet so description might change in the next few weeks. As 1/2 time position, it comes will full benefits.

Basic Description of position: A 1/2 time person will be hired Winter 2009 to coordinate the development of Audience Research studies conducted by Museology graduate students in local museums, zoos, and aquaria. This position will provide support to the New Directions project with responsibility for coordinating a cadre of graduate students conducting onsite evaluations, while also coordinating communication with host institutions. While this person will have access to evaluation experts within the leadership team, they should have a firm grasp of evaluation or research techniques and ethics and be able to work with community professionals and graduate students. The position will be posted through University of Washington.

About the Project: New Directions will prepare a new generation of evaluators and museum practitioners, through an innovative apprentice-styled laboratory that integrates the strengths of mentoring, fieldwork, academics, and client-centered experiences. Led by University of Washington's Museology Program, one of the oldest and largest museum studies programs in the country and joined by partners Woodland Park Zoo and the Learning in Informal and Formal Education Science of Learning Center (LIFE), New Directions will develop a model of university-community collaboration where students work with client museums to conduct evaluation under the guidance of a Research Mentor. Building on an approach of "Professionalism through Practice", students will progress from initial coursework to data collectors, then methodology specialists, and eventually project coordinators, providing experience in project management, collaboration and leadership. The staff at participating museums will advance their personal and institutional knowledge about their visitors and the field of museum evaluation.