Meet the MUSER collective

The MUSER Collective is made up of scientists, educators, placemakers, and artists who have a passion for transforming public spaces into places of learning.

  • Co-Founder

    Shawn is a creative artist, educator, and advocate for bringing accessible and relevant science education into the public realm. He most recently directed the Studio for Public Spaces which he founded in 2014 at San Francisco’s renowned Exploratorium science museum. The Studio created educational and inclusive public spaces that utilize interactive site instruments and relevant S.T.E.A.M content. In 2021 Shawn became the Principal Investigator of a 4 year, $2.4 million NSF grant that brings the social sciences to the public realm. Shawn’s team worked closely with communities to explore their cultural, historical, ecological, social, and emotional landscapes through the process of placemaking. Shawn is the recipient of a National AIA award and the Principal Investigator for multiple place-based NSF Informal Science Education grants. Shawn earned a Master’s Degree in Museum Studies focused on design and education in 1995. He worked at the Exploratorium for over 27 years and has created numerous exhibits and artworks which are now located in over sixty museums worldwide.

  • Co-Founder

    Adam Esposito is a Design Engineer with over 15 years of non-profit experience. An advocate for robust learning experiences in public spaces, Adam uses fabrication craftsmanship and his technical and creative skills as a maker and educator to help create lasting contributions for curious communities. Adam has been an Exhibit Developer at Chabot Space and Science Center, as well as Content Lead Designer of their outdoor Observation Deck. At the Exploratorium for over 12 years, he was a founding member of the Studio for Public Spaces, designing and building dozens of interactive exhibits and placemaking installations throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Recently, Adam was the Facilities and Project Manager at the Eames Institute for 3 years establishing workshops, supporting the Collections, Creative, and Communication teams, and caring for the 350 acre Eames Ranch. He is an advisor to the Tesla Science Center in his hometown in New York and has a B.S. Mechanical Engineering from the University of Vermont.

  • Co-Founder

    Jennifer’s work focuses on creating public experiences that engage the public with science through new tools, artworks, and live programming. For eighteen years Jennifer was a Senior Scientist and Curator at the Exploratorium, where she co-led the museum's program in biological sciences. Jennifer has led several grants that pioneer new genres of exhibits including the NSF-funded Living Liquid, the Center for Cellular Construction, and the VISUALISE Conference, and the Moore-funded Ocean Observatory and Plants. These projects not only create new exhibit forms, but research studies on learning that are used in informal learning, computer science, and design. Before joining the Exploratorium in 2004, Jennifer worked at the National Academy of Sciences and PBS. She has been an NSF Fellow, a AAAS Mass Media Fellow, UCSF Alumni of the Year, and the NSF/AAAS Scientific Visualization Challenge. A major focus of her work is finding ways for the public to explore new areas of science through data visualization, microscopy, other tools. Jennifer has B.S. in Genetics and Bioethics from the University of California, Davis, and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the University of California at San Francisco where she is an Adjunct Professor teaching science communication.

  • Lead Engineer

    Jesse is a prototyper, designer, and builder of science exhibits and public space installations. Jesse came to the Exploratorium in 2007 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS in Mechanical Engineering). Here he has designed, built, and maintained science exhibits for museums worldwide. He is facile with a suite of computer design, engineering, and documentation tools. As a builder, he brings skills in wood, metal, electrical, and water systems to creating technically complex products from prototypes to finished exhibits.

  • Scientists and Teacher

    Bryce Johnson is a scientist-teacher with a background in environmental science and a love of inquiry, hands-on learning, and teaching. He studied mechanical engineering at UC Santa Barbara, earning BS and MS degrees, then completed a PhD in civil and environmental engineering at UC Berkeley. He worked as a scientist for the California Environmental Protection Agency on water-quality issues related to mercury contamination, and was a post-doctoral fellow in a marine chemistry lab at Texas A&M University. At the Exploratorium, Bryce has worked with teachers, artists, and exhibit developers on investigations of the San Francisco Bay, with an emphasis on the connection between humans and their impact on aquatic environments. This work has led to new professional development workshops for teachers and several new exhibits at the museum.

    Bryce also lived and worked in Dharamsala, India, for two years, where he helped launch the Science for Monks program. He continues to work on this program, which trains Tibetan monks and nuns who are emerging leaders of science education within their community.