Dennis M. Bartels, Executive Director
Dennis M. Bartels, a nationally known science education and policy expert, became
Executive Director of the Exploratorium in May 2006. He holds a PhD in Education
Administration and Policy Analysis from Stanford University. His work has received over
$28 million in grants from the National Science Foundation and other sources.
Dennis’s leadership in science education includes numerous appointments, including
Fellow of AAAS, appointee to the Education Working Group for the President’s Council of
Advisors on Science and Technology, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Education
and Human Resources Directorate Advisory Committee. In 2010, Dennis was one of two
educators named to the Oceans Research and Resources Advisory Panel (ORRAP), which provides independent advice and guidance to the more than 20 federal
agencies of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. In addition, he has testified
before committees of both the United States Senate and House of Representatives, and
before the full House Science Committee concerning the role of the National Science
Foundation in K–12 science and math education.
From 2001 to 2006, Dennis was the president of TERC. For five years prior to his tenure at
TERC, Dennis was the Director of the Exploratorium’s own Center for Learning and
Teaching.
(For a longer biography, please see the Exploratorium Directors pages.)
Robert Semper, Executive Associate Director and Director of Program
Rob Semper coordinates the museum’s overall program direction as well as relations with
the external science, education, and funding communities. His areas of responsibility
include the museum’s exhibit, media, and teacher education programs, public
understanding of research activities, and research in K–12 education and new media. He
has also guided the development of the award-winning Exploratorium website.
Rob is the author of many journal articles and invited papers, and he has been the
principal investigator on projects that include developing new Internet resources,
experiments using technology to enhance the museum visitor experience, and programs
for teachers and museum educators. Awards include AAAS Fellow, 2006, and the NSTA 2006
Faraday Science Communicator Award. Before joining the Exploratorium in 1977, Rob
taught physics and conducted solid state and nuclear physics research. He received his
PhD in solid state physics from the Johns Hopkins University.
Thomas Rockwell, Director of Exhibits and Associate Director for Program
Tom Rockwell leads the group that is responsible for the exhibit experience at the
museum. He oversees a staff of approximately 65 people, including exhibit developers,
science and art content experts, and a visitor research and evaluation team. Tom has been
principal investigator for the Geometry Playground exhibition, and coprincipal investigator
for the Science in the Stacks project for the Queens Borough Public Library. He has also
been deeply involved in the design and planning for the Exploratorium’s move to San
Francisco’s Embarcadero.
Training in the visual arts at Brown University and a lifelong interest in combining art and
science led Tom to work first as an educator in science museums, and then as a designer
and construction coordinator of community-built science parks and playgrounds. These
projects, in which thousands of volunteers collaborated to build a public structure, have
had a strong influence on how he thinks about design, the creative process, and the
public’s desire to engage in science.
In 1995, Tom founded Painted Universe, Inc. Projects have included traveling exhibitions
such as It’s a Nano World (with the Ithaca Science Center and Cornell University), The
Enchanted Museum: Exploring the Science of Art (with the Berkshire Museum), and
illustrations for The Elegant Universe by Brian Green.
Bronwyn Bevan, Associate Director of Program for Learning
At the Exploratorium since 1991, Bronwyn Bevan’s work includes institutional research, art as a way of knowing, youth programs, strategic program development, and fieldwide collaborations that advance informal science education. She is the director of the Exploratorium’s NSF-funded Center for Informal Learning and Schools (CILS) and serves as principal investigator or coprincipal investigator on several projects including the NSF Academies for Young Scientists (NSFAYS) Research & Evaluation Center; the Museums Afterschool: Principles, Data, and Design project; and the Relating Research to Practice website.
Bronwyn’s publications and her work in both research and professional development focus on strengthening partnerships between cultural institutions and other educational organizations, and building understanding about the ways different settings shape opportunities for learning. She is the editor of the Science Learning in Everyday Life section of the journal Science Education.
Bronwyn holds a doctorate in education from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
Kristina Hooper Woolsey, Project Director, Piers 15/17
Kristina Woolsey is coordinating the Exploratorium’s move from its home in the Palace of
Fine Arts to Piers 15/17 on San Francisco’s Embarcadero. She brings a long-term
relationship with the Exploratorium to this position. In addition to having been an Osher
Fellow, she has worked with the Exploratorium’s Institute for Inquiry (IFI) and the Center
for Informal Learning and Schools (CILS).
Before joining the Exploratorium staff, Kristina was a Distinguished Scientist at Apple
Computer, Director of the Atari Research Labs, and a faculty member at UC Santa Cruz, MIT,
and Stanford. She holds a PhD in cognitive science from UC San Diego and completed
postdoctoral work on architecture and urban planning at UC Berkeley and UCLA.
Laura R. Zander, Chief Operating Officer
Laura Zander joined the Exploratorium as Chief Operating Officer in 2007. She is
responsible for managing the Finance and Accounting, Information Technology,
Organizational Development, Facilities and Operations, and Volunteer departments. Laura
spent the early part of her career in commercial banking and project finance with a specific
focus on Latin America at three large financial institutions in New York. She moved to San
Francisco in 1999 to get involved in high technology. Laura worked as a CFO to start-up
and midsized Internet and high technology companies in the Bay Area. In 2003, she moved
into the not-for-profit sector as Chief Operating Officer for the Peninsula Jewish
Community Center, where she was involved in its large construction and relocation
project. Laura holds a BA from Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard Business
School.
Ann Dabovich, Director of Development
Ann Dabovich has been the Exploratorium’s Director of Development since 2008 when she
signed on to lead the $300M campaign for the move to Piers 15/17 on San Francisco’s
Embarcadero in 2013. Ann has been involved with both grant making and resource
development for cultural organizations since the early 1980s, and she has helped many
prominent organizations fulfill their visions, including facility development projects. Ann
was a fundraiser with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra during the development of the
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Hall, and, in 1989, she became the Associate Director of
Development for the San Francisco Symphony. She served as Director of Development for
the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco from 1994 to 1999 and was the architect of its
capital campaign. She has also headed philanthropy efforts at an artist residency and a
not-for-profit biotech organization. Ann holds a BA in art history from the University of
Oregon and an MA in not-for-profit arts management from the University of Illinois.
Joyce M. Gardella, Director of Marketing and Communications
Joyce Gardella joined the Exploratorium in 2007 and is responsible for the message and
audience development areas of Marketing, Public Information, and Institutional Media, as
well as Admissions and Visitor Services. Prior to coming to the Exploratorium, Joyce served
as vice president/marketing for Boston’s Museum of Science and as chief marketing officer
at Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry and at the Chicago Zoological Park. For those
organizations and as a consultant to others, Joyce has headed building openings and led
the repositioning and attendance/revenue turnarounds at some of the country’s largest
cultural institutions. She is a frequent speaker at international museum conferences, a
museum marketing instructor at Harvard and Yale, winner of a Public Relations Society of
America national marketing award, and an appointee to the National Academy of Science’s
Committee for Technological Literacy.
Silva Raker, Director of Business Development
Silva Raker joined the Exploratorium in August 2010. An accomplished business
development executive and trained scientist, Silva has successfully grown vibrant,
mission-based companies in specialty retail and travel. After graduating with a BA in
zoology followed by field studies in California and Cameroon, Silva joined The Nature
Company where she spent ten years developing proprietary products, innovative
programs, and fruitful partnerships. More recently, as the COO and leading strategist for
Backroads, Silva managed a complex global operation while developing both new and
existing business segments—including the Family Travel Program with natural history and
cultural exploration for kids on five continents.
Silva and the business development team are charged with growing earned income while extending the impact of the Exploratorium through our museum consultancy, exhibit services, licensing, retail stores, restaurant concession, event rentals, sponsorships, and more.
Jeff Hamilton, Director of Community and Government Relations
Jeff Hamilton is responsible for managing the Exploratorium’s local, state, and federal government relationships as well as managing relationships with key communities and constituencies. The Exploratorium is a recipient of government funding for science, education, and teacher professional development as well as for its arts programs and exhibitions. The institution also contributes to the development of science education policy and advocates for the informal science field in many policy and government settings including the United States Congress. Jeff works with Exploratorium senior staff to set the legislative and policy agenda in alignment with larger institutional goals.
Jeff joined the Exploratorium in August 2008 after more than ten years’ experience in the arena of government affairs. He was the Manager of Community Relations for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency where he oversaw community outreach for major capital projects such as the opening of the new T-Third line. He also served as a Legislative Aide on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, where he worked on transit, development, and LGBT civil rights issues for Supervisor Leslie Katz.
