Hi! I’m Alec Quinn. I recently earned my master’s in Museum Studies with a concentration in Exhibition and Visitor Experience from The George Washington University. I’ve spent the last few years working and volunteering across the Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of American History, National Museums of Natural History. I also worked with Smithsonian visitor services where I was trained to work across museums such the National Postal Museum, the National Air and Space Museum, and the National Portrait Gallery and American Art museum.

At the National Museum of American History, I’ve assisted with curatorial research, collection acquisitions, collections databasing, and exhibit label development, including projects focused on expanding collections to better represent marginalized communities.

At the National Museum of Natural History, I worked with the Sundance Fossil Insect Collection, curating a Middle Jurassic assemblage of over 3,000 fossil insects. I also volunteer in the FossiLab, fabricating jackets, creating scientific drawings, repairing and rehousing fossils. I also volunteered with the Office of Education and Outreach, where I taught school-aged children about geology and paleontology. In addition, I wrote a science piece for Smithsonian Voices, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the Fossils Lab.

More recently, I’ve moved closer to the visitor side of the museum. I started as a Visitor Service Representative across the Smithsonian — welcoming and orienting guests, supporting tours, and keeping an eye on accessibility and safety throughout the galleries — and I’m now a Facilitator at the National Museum of American History, where I lead hands-on, inquiry-based activities that connect visitors of all ages to American history. I also prototype and test new content and signage to see what actually helps people learn. Spending my days on the floor like this has shown me how exhibitions land in real life, and it’s made me a better at building them.

Before all this, I earned my bachelor’s in Geology, with a Paleontology concentration, from Appalachian State University. There I got hands-on with paleontological research, geological fieldwork in Italy, and exhibit design through my internship at the ASU McKinney Museum. My senior thesis explored how fossil reconstructions shape public understanding, using the giant fossil shark Otodus megalodon as a case study and proposing new approaches to exhibit development.

More than anything, I’m passionate about combining science, design, and storytelling to create meaningful museum experiences. I want to open minds to the unknown by inspiring and connecting people with history.

Have a look around using the links above to see examples of my work.

Thanks for visiting!

Alec Quinn