Meet the Director Dr. Anne Basham
"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education." - Albert Einstein
Education has the potential of being transformative by liberating minds, and changing how we engage with and view the world. Explormor emerged after some 15 years of developing informal science and art programs aimed at reaching diverse populations, ages, and abilities.
Anne received her BA degree in anthropology/science from Indiana University followed by a M.Phil degree in Museum studies from Cambridge University, England where she interned at the Horniman Natural History museum in London. In 2012 she received a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Innovation with a focus on action research and critical pedagogy introducing citizen science in an English language classroom serving adult immigrants and refugees. Anne later worked for five years as an educational coordinator at the Arizona State University Museum of Natural History where she was involved in the development of community outreach programs serving K-12 as well as GED students, English language learners, and seniors. In 2014 she was involved in developing an interactive discovery center at the museum's new location in Tempe for the purpose of connecting the public with university collections. In that position she developed an augmented reality learning tool called the Libraries of Life. The app featured museum specimens in 3D and was rolled out in museums across the country as a public education and outreach tool. Other projects involved public campaigns that promoted public awareness of endangered butterfly species as well as invasive species such as the Asian Long-horned beetle in partnership with the USDA.
Anne has taught in culturally diverse classrooms as an ESL educator and as an ecological anthropologist teaching students from high school to college for the past 18 years.
As a writer, consultant, and educator Anne continues to advocate for education that will inspire creative critical thinkers and compassionate changemakers as we address the current challenges of our changing planet.
