Museum of Science and Industry

Jean M. Franczyk has been announced today as the new Museum director at MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester) following the merger between MOSI and National Museum of Science & Industry (NMSI). She will take up her post from February 2012. The merger will create one of the world's most important museum groups, reaching over five million visitors annually. 

Jean is currently the Director of Learning at NMSI. She leads a team of over 120 who reach more than 1.25 million participants a year across the Science Museum, National Railway Museum and National Media Museum through a variety of learning programmes. These include live shows, workshops and events for Museum visitors of all ages, as well as programmes for schools and communities across the country, and the new Science Museum Live! theatre show which has just embarked on its second national tour. Jean also leads NMSI's Audience Research and Advocacy team, which is core to the development of all major galleries and exhibitions. 

Ian Blatchford, Director of NMSI said: "Jean is a highly respected colleague, both within NMSI and the wider museum community, and I am confident that she will bring her huge energy, insight and skill to this new role. Jean has a wealth of experience and I am sure the Museum will flourish under her leadership."

Prior to joining NMSI and moving to the UK, Jean was Vice President of Education and Guest Services at Chicago's well loved Museum of Science and Industry and has held a number of other significant posts in Chicago including education policy advisor to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Chief-of-staff to the Chicago Board of Education.

Jean said "MOSI is a great museum in a great city. The stories we can share are powerful and internationally significant. There's no better place to tell the story of how science and industry created the first truly modern city or how the science and industry of Manchester continues to influence the world today. I relish the opportunity of working with the team at MOSI and together ensuring that the Museum evolves as creatively and with as much innovation as Manchester itself.  

Ends

For further enquiries please contact:

Andrea Dearden                     NMSI Press Office                 Tel: 0207 942 4352

andrea.dearden@sciencemuseum.org.uk

Sarah Roe                               MOSI Press & Publicity Officer                     Tel: 0161 606 0176
email: s.roe@mosi.org.uk   

Editor's notes

The role

Jean will take the position on a two-year secondment. She will continue to be a member of the NMSI Executive and will retain overall responsibility for NMSI learning strategy. In order to combine her new role, and maintain an overview of learning developments, Jean will be working part of the week in Manchester and the rest at other locations within the NMSI Group

  Jean M. Franczyk Background

Jean M. Franczyk is Director of Learning at the National Museum of Science and Industry, a family of museums which include the Science Museum in London, the National Railway Museum in York, and the National Media Museum in Bradford.  Across these three sites, she has led a team of over 120 who develop exhibitions, programmes, experiences, learning products and games to inspire an interest in science amongst audiences of all ages. Her teams have a particular interest in working to inspire new and diverse museum audiences. These programmes which reach more than 1.25 million participants annually include:

-       Learning activities at the Science Museum, National Railway Museum & National Media Museum for schools, universities and community organisations.

-       Live activities within the Museums which bring science to life through drama characters, live shows and free family workshops.

-       Visits into schools, community projects and festivals.  A recent outreach programme has included collaboration with MOSI on the Science Museums Climate Changing programme.  

-       Development of the new Science Museum Live! theatre show which has just embarked on its second national tour and the popular Science Museum Lates programme for adults.

-       International training programmes from Science Museum explainers, most recently in South Africa. 

Her team have also developed a number of learning products, including electronic games and classroom resources for the schools audience. At the Science Museum alone, her team welcomes as many as 380,000 booked education visitors a year.

Jean also runs the audience research and advocacy teams which are core to the development of all major new galleries and exhibitions. She has led the development of the Audience Plan at the Science Museum and serves as a member of the NMSI Executive Board.

Jean has more than 25 years experience in the non-profit, government and private sectors in both the UK and the US. She is a recognised expert and leader in public education and the cultural sector, and has delivered key projects and organisational change throughout her career.  She has held a number of significant posts including education policy advisor to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, chief-of-staff to the Chicago Board of Education and vice president of education and guest services at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. She also has worked as a programme officer at a major philanthropic organization and as a journalist.

She is an alumna of the Getty Institute's Museum Leadership Institute and a Fellow of the RSA She holds an MA from the University of Chicago in Public Policy Studies and a B.Sc. in Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

 

Background to NMSI

The National Museum of Science and Industry is a family of museums which include the Science Museum in London and Wroughton, near Swindon; the National Railway Museum in York and Shildon; and the National Media Museum in Bradford. They are all dedicated to offering life enhancing visitor experiences and hold world class collections in the fields of science, engineering and technology.

Background to MOSI

Housed in the buildings of the oldest passenger railway station in the world, built in 1830, and in a former 19^th century market hall, MOSI is free apart from special exhibitions. The Museum tells the story of how Manchester started the industrial revolution and showcases some of the city's greatest innovations - from the first British aeroplane to the first factory machines, to the groundbreaking scientific discoveries of John Dalton, James Joule and Ernest Rutherford. Experience what life was like in a cotton mill, go for a ride on a steam train and marvel at the Museum's vast collection of planes, trains, cars and steam engines - from the nineteenth century to the very latest in digital technology in the new 'Revolution Manchester' gallery.

 ENDS

 

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