About Me

Leah has worked at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology as the Manager of Museum Education and Programs since 2017.

Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Leah’s career has taken her to Michigan, Vermont, and Washington, DC., developing and implementing public interpretation and informal education programs for the National Park Service, the Smithsonian Institution, and the US Capitol Visitor Center, among other organizations.

Working at the intersection of anthropological archaeology (BA, University of Michigan) and public humanities (MA, Brown University), she’s committed to the collaborative work of decolonizing museums and passionate about the social justice potential of heritage education.

Recent Projects

 

Escape the Haffenreffer 2021_promo post2

Escape the Haffenreffer!

Don’t miss Escape the Haffenreffer!, an escape room experience at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology! Team up with friends to crack codes, solve puzzles, and Escape the Haffenreffer.

Co-created for Haffenreffer Museum.

 

AAM_PosterHow to Launch a Student Docent Program

A 2017 American Alliance of Museum’s Annual Conference poster detailing the launch of the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology’s student docent program, MUSE.

 

 

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Illuminating László Moholy-Nagy’s “Light Prop”: An Object Lesson

An object-based digital experience that brings the expansive capacity of an application programming interface (API) together with the intimate perspective of a curator.

Co-created with Andrea Ledesma. 

 

0-gD-RNYO8DeSnaCZ-How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Open Data:
A Case Study in the Harvard Art Museums’ API

A DIY guide to application programming interfaces (APIs) that explores the landscape between cultural institutions and the public. 

Co-created with Andrea Ledesma. 

 

Screen Shot 2017-07-12 at 12.45.53 PMNational Park Service Junior Archeologist: Junior Ranger Activity Book 

A national Junior Ranger program that encourages aspiring archaeologists to earn their badge by digging in to artifacts, site protection, and the nation’s heritage.  

 

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Managing Michigan’s Underwater Heritage: The Past, Present, and Future of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

An article that examines the decisions Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary made when planning how to manage its submerged cultural resources.

Past Experience

Rhode Island | Roger Williams National Memorial

Washington, DC | National Park Service, Architect of the Capitol, Friends of the National Zoo, Smithsonian Institute National Museum of Natural History, National Building Museum

Vermont | Shelburne Museum

Michigan | Detroit Institute of Arts, University of Michigan Museum of Natural History

Ohio | Cincinnati Museum Center

Get in Touch

I’d love to hear from you! Reach out to leah_burgin@brown.edu to chat about my recent projects, current work, or future goals.