Joyce Ma

Joyce Ma is the Director of the Exploratorium’s Visitor Research and Evaluation Department (VRE). She leads a group of researchers and evaluators dedicated to studying the visitor experience in order to inform the design of innovative learning experiences at the Exploratorium and to deepen our understanding of the nature of informal learning. As director, Joyce defines the museum’s overarching research and evaluation agenda in collaboration with VRE staff, project directors, and museum leadership. Joyce has been the co-lead on several projects that focus on studying and developing ways of using advanced technologies (e.g. machine learning, biotechnology) to support informal learning and the visitor studies field. Joyce earned a PhD in the Learning Sciences from Northwestern University, and a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT.