Program Alumni

Alex Croft  
Museum Supervisor 
Palouse Discovery Science Center 
Pullman, Washington 
 
Alex Croft (she/they) serves as the museum supervisor at the Palouse Discovery Science Center. With a bachelor’s degree in History and Anthropology from the University of Idaho, Alex initially explored teaching before discovering her true calling in informal STEAM education. She channels her passion into fostering accessibility and inclusivity in museums for rural communities, with hopes that the magic of science and exploration reaches every corner. 

Aylaia Sifuentes  
Development & Membership Coordinator 
International Museum of Art & Science 
McAllen, Texas 
 
Aylaia (she/her) is an avid believer in the power of museums to change lives. Growing up in a low-income household, Aylaia was able to visit local museums frequently thanks to the discount initiatives they offered, igniting a lifelong love for learning, which led to her museum career now spanning the better part of a decade. One of Aylaia’s proudest professional accomplishments is establishing a “pay it forward” program at her museum, which allows individuals to donate funds providing museum memberships to underprivileged families. Looking to the future, Aylaia’s goals include contributing to the development of more inclusive and accessible educational programs and exhibits that serve as dynamic community resources for inspiration and cultural enrichment. 

Caite Debevec Early  
Childhood Education Manager 
Maryland Science Center 
Baltimore, Maryland 
 
Caite (she/her) is an educator, conductor, and musician living and working in Baltimore City. She currently serves as the Early Childhood Education Manager at the Maryland Science Center where she spends her days laughing, experimenting, asking questions, pretending, and being silly with the museum’s youngest guests. As an educator, she aims to create quality STEAM learning experiences while maintaining safe, supportive, joyful spaces for all young scientists, both inside and outside of the museum walls. 

Danae Pineda  
Associate Director of Education 
Children’s Museum of Tucson 
Tucson, Arizona 

Danae (she/her/ella) has called the Sonoran Desert home all her life, growing up in México, and currently residing in Tucson, Arizona where she acts as the Associate Director of Education at Children’s Museum Tucson. In this role she is able to provide opportunities for the community to engage in fun, interactive and meaningful STEAM-focused experiences by helping nurture and strengthen the educational programs and content at the museum, especially for Spanish-speaking and underrepresented families and children, focusing on acknowledging and celebrating non-traditional approaches to STEAM. 

Frantz Lucien Jr.  
Coordinator of Strategic Education Initiatives 
New York Hall of Science 
Corona, New York 
 
Frantz Lucien Jr. (he/him) is a dedicated educator and passionate STEM advocate, committed to culturally responsive education and equitable access. As the Coordinator of Strategic Education Initiatives at The New York Hall of Science, he shapes impactful STEM experiences for students, teachers, and families from a wide range of backgrounds, ages, and experiences. Frantz manages the Urban Advantage program at NYSCI, collaborating with a network of partners from other cultural institutions in the effort to create NGSS-aligned professional development that engages unique learners in unique ways.  

Ian Trevethan  
Education Director 
Sternberg Museum of Natural History 
Hays, Kansas 
 
Ian (he/him) has served as the Education Outreach Coordinator at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History from 2011-2015 and as Education Director since 2015. His interest in science research began with his Bachelor of Science in earth sciences from Montana State University and a Master of Science in Geosciences from Fort Hays State University, where he participated in research projects related toisotopic analysis of core body temperature in mosasaurs and cranial variation in dinosaurs. He is committed to educating the general public in all facets of paleontological, geological and natural sciences, particularly through museum outreach programs. 

Jeehyun Park  
Director of STEM Education Growth 
Science Mill 
Johnson City, Texas 
 
Jeehyun (she/her) is the Director of STEM Education Growth at the Science Mill, where she drives optimization of processes, materials, and technology for educational programs. Born and raised in Midland and educated at Texas A&M and UT Austin for engineering undergrad and grad school, Jeehyun is #texasforever. Jeehyun taught high school physics and coached girls volleyball and boys powerlifting for 4 years, before moving into an administrative role leading project-based learning campuses. Jeehyun joined the Science Mill team in February 2022, and has been able to use both her engineering and education experiences to manage and expand large-scale programs, both on- and off-site, to provide interactive STEM career exploration and experiences to underserved students across Texas and beyond. 

Jessica Harvey  
Education and Outreach Manager 
National Children’s Museum 
Washington, DC 
 
Jessica (she/her) has been the Education and Outreach Manager at National Children’s Museum in Washington, D.C. since January 2022. She is passionate about community engagement and implementing mission-driven programming to audiences of all ages. Prior to joining National Children’s Museum, Jessica spent over four years at the International Spy Museum in D.C.  and taught abroad in Suzhou, Nanjing and Beijing, China. She has a Masters from Johns Hopkins  in Museum Studies with a focus on education. 

Marcos Medellin  
Exhibitions Manager 
The Witte Museum 
San Antonio, Texas 
 
Marcos (he/him), a dedicated advocate for the arts, earned a BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he immersed himself in art as an existential human endeavor, while also sharpening his skills in the technical and administrative components that allow artists to cultivate success through gallery and exhibition design.  Returning to his hometown of San Antonio, Texas, Marcos found his calling at The Witte Museum where he began as an Exhibit Preparator and now works as the Exhibitions Manager.  With both this strong foundation in the arts and his experience at The Witte Museum, Marcos has applied his craft and understanding to be an agent for cultivating spaces that help shape and co-construct what the community experiences in an exhibit, all while effectively contributing to museum work. 

Melanie Twardzicki  
Director, Financial Planning & Analysis 
Exploratorium 
San Francisco, California 
 
Melanie (she/her) is the Director of Financial Planning & Analysis at the Exploratorium, where she guides the budgeting and forecasting processes for the organization. She views her job as helping cultural organizations remain financially sound in order to provide life-changing experiences for people well into the future. Her desire is that her work helps an organization do its best work now and 10, 20 and 50 years into the future. Originally from New York, Melanie’s career started in art museums and cultural organizations, working with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA PS1. After moving to San Francisco, Melanie joined the Exploratorium and has been in the science center/museum space ever since.  

Sarah Irizarry  
Head of Volunteer and Intern Services 
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences 
Raleigh, North Carolina 
 
Sarah (she/her) was born and raised in Kentucky and now calls North Carolina home. Volunteerism has been a part of her life from a young age, regularly volunteering in the community with Girl Scouts and her church. She started at NCMNS as a guest services volunteer in 2017 and worked her way up through  positions in guest services, volunteer services, and education. In her current position as Head of Volunteer and Intern Services, she oversees volunteer and intern operations across the museum’s five sites. Sarah is passionate about creating opportunities for more diverse groups of people to get involved at the museum. Her team strives to provide excellent customer service while facilitating connections across the museum network and local community.

Vanessa Lu  
Manager, Strategic Communications 
Ontario Science Centre 
Toronto, Canada 
  
Vanessa (she/her) is Manager of Strategic Communications at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, Canada. She leads communications strategy and media relations for the organization, which includes developing plans to promote exhibitions, programs and experiences. Prior to joining the Ontario Science Centre, Vanessa worked as a reporter and editor at the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest daily newspaper, covering municipal politics, health and business. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Queen’s University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. 

Yitzack Balmaceda  
Manager of Floor Operations and Volunteers  
Michigan Science Center 
Detroit, Michigan 
 
Yitzack (he/him/his) is an emerging museum professional working in Detroit, Michigan. Yitzack is currently the Manager of Floor Operations and Volunteers at the Michigan Science Center, as well as a part time programs assistant for the Michigan Museum Association. As the Manager of Floor Operations and Volunteers, Yitzack helps coordinate a team of part-time and full-time guest relations staff across the Michigan Science Center, maintaining daily operations to create a welcoming, safe, and fun environment for guests. Yitzack has a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and East Asian Studies with a focus on Chinese language and history and has previously worked in part-time museum education roles at The Zekelman Holocaust Center.