I'm Jessica Luke. I'm the Director of the Master of Arts in Museology (MA-Muse), and a Teaching Professor in the Information School, at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA. 

I'm a Canadian, a mother, a learning scientist, an educator, a researcher, a facilitator, and an ally. I have a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from University of Maryland College Park and an M.A. in Museum Studies from University of Toronto. I've spent more than 25 years working to advance the educational role of museums.  

I started my career as an art museum educator, developing and facilitating programs to engage families and children with art. I worked at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, ON, Canada, and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada, helping people to connect to art and learn about themselves through the process, something that informs my teaching to this day. 

After that, I spent 15 years, first as a researcher and later as Vice President, at a nonprofit organization in Annapolis, MD dedicated to advancing learning in museums and other informal learning environments. Working with John Falk and Lynn Dierking, I consulted with dozens of museums across the country, conducting research and evaluation studies to answer fundamental questions about how museum experiences shape who we are, how we think, and how we relate to others. I learned how to use research and evaluation as a tool for fostering change in museum practice, something that drives much of my research today.  

In 2012, I joined the faculty at the University of Washington's iSchool, where I work at the intersection of museums, learning, and wellbeing. I teach the next generation of museum professionals, and I conduct research designed to advance educational practice in museums.