Thursday, December 5, 2024
1–2 p.m. EST
Join us to learn about the Collaboration for Ongoing Visitor Experience Studies (COVES), a multi-institutional effort to standardize visitor experience data.
Hear from members at the Museum of Science in Boston, the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County and the Science Museum of Minnesota as they share their experiences partnering with COVES, including examples of putting their visitor data to use through the lens of equity.
This free session is part of our ongoing webinar series for professionals with an interest in equity, Exploring Equity in STEM.
Plus, sign up for our eNews to receive updates about future sessions.
About the Presenter: Dr. Ryan Auster
Dr. Ryan Auster serves as the Manager of COVES & Learning Metrics at the Museum of Science (MOS) in Boston, MA. Having worked in museums for over 10 years, Ryan has extensive knowledge of research methods and measures for informal science education, as well as multi-institutional data collection and the translation of data to informed decision-making.
As Project Director for COVES, he oversees the participation of over 110 museums and 50,000 visitor experience surveys annually.
About the Presenter: Dr. Beth Katz
Dr. Beth Katz is the Director of Evaluation and Museum Impact at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC). She has a background in environmental science and nearly 15 years of experience conducting policy research and education program evaluation.
During her time at NHMLAC, Beth has expanded the evaluation practice to improve assessment of the overall visitor experience, as well as the effectiveness of individual exhibits, programs and initiatives. Her work has informed exhibition selection and development, programming, marketing and strategy.
About the Presenter: Gretchen Haupt
Gretchen Haupt is an Evaluation and Research Associate at Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM). She has nearly 20 years of experience working across museums and cultural organizations.
Gretchen’s work in visitor studies and audience research is anchored in the use of data for informing strategic decisions and enhancing the impact of museum initiatives. She designs and operationalizes evaluation and research studies, then uses her findings to find answers to institution- and field-wide questions.