CONTRIBUTORS
JOHN H. FALK
Dr. John H. Falk is Founder and CEO of the Institute for Learning Innovation and Emeritus Sea Grant Professor of Free-Choice Learning at Oregon State University. He is internationally recognized as a leading expert on free-choice learning, the learning that occurs while visiting museums and other cultural institutions. For more than 50 years, Dr. Falk has been investigating why people go to museums, what they do there, and what they take away from these experiences. He has authored over 250 articles and chapters, hundreds of technical reports, and more than two dozen books. His most recent books are The Value of Museums: Enhancing Societal Well-Being and Leaning into Value: Becoming a User-Focused Museum. Both of these books, like all his work, emphasize the importance of viewing the museum experience through the eyes of the user.
MANAL ATAYA
Manal Ataya is Museums Advisor to the Sharjah Museums Authority( SMA) and to His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, with over 20 years’ experience in museum development, cultural policy, and diplomacy. Formerly Director General of SMA for 16 years, she led the creation of seven museums and advanced accessibility, education, and cross-cultural partnerships across the network. A sought-after international speaker, she delivers keynotes and panels on arts and culture, museology, inclusion, cultural production, and the role of culture in societal well-being and peacebuilding. Ataya serves on multiple advisory boards, mentors emerging museum professionals, and champions the transformative power of culture in fostering dialogue and community wellbeing. She is a recipient of both the French Order of Arts & Letters and the German Order of Merit in for her outstanding contributions to culture.
SAM ANDERSON
Sam Anderson, AIA, is an architect whose practice, Samuel Anderson Architects, is an international leader in the design of art conservation and collection storage facilities, bringing design creativity and technical expertise to museums, archives, and libraries. Clients include the Harvard Art Museums, the MiSK Heritage Museum ASAAN, SFMOMA, the Getty Conservation Institute, the Beirut Museum of Art( with WORKac), and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. He has a lifelong commitment to approaching elegance through the efficient use of space, materials, and energy. Several projects have received awards for design excellence and sustainable design. An Adjunct Professor at The Cooper Union for over 20 years, he teaches building technology and third-year studio. Mr. Anderson is a graduate of Harvard College( BA) and The Cooper Union( B. Arch). He is the 2020 recipient of the Allied Professionals Award from the American Institute for Conservation.
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