Staff

All Block Museum staff emails conclude with @northwestern.edu

Lisa Graziose Corrin

The Ellen Philips Katz Director

phone: 847.491.2562
fax: 847.467.4609
email inquiries to hadia.shaikh
About Lisa

Kathleen Bickford Berzock

Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs

phone: 847.467.5047
email: kathleen.berzock

I lead collaboration on The Block’s collection, exhibition, and publications programs in support of the museum’s cross-cultural and interdisciplinary mission. My areas of interest include Africa’s art and visual culture, Global medieval studies, and decolonial museum practices.

Lois Taylor Biggs

Terra Foundation Curatorial Research Fellow / Interim Curatorial Assistant

email: lois.biggs

I am part of the curatorial team for an exhibition focused on the Indigenous art history of Chicago. I am assisting with exhibition research as well as our implementation of a community-centered curatorial process. I am happy to connect with students, faculty, and visitors to discuss socially engaged art history, Indigenous curatorial practice, and interdisciplinary museum learning.

Lindsay Bosch

Senior Manager of Marketing & Communications

phone: 847.467.4602
email: lindsay.bosch

Contact me for press and media inquiries, staff interviews, online resources, and general museum inquiries. I would be happy to connect with student and faculty researchers on subjects related to arts marketing, non-profit organizations, digital and content strategy, and audience engagement and evaluation.

Kristina Bottomley

Assistant Director of Collections and Exhibition Management and Senior Registrar

phone: 847.491.5601
email: k-bottomley

Contact me for information on exhibition logistics, incoming collection artworks, or collections management. I would be happy to connect with student and faculty researchers on subjects related to logistics of packing and shipping artworks, insurance for artworks, traveling exhibitions, how we take care of artworks in the Block’s collection through preservation planning and proper storage.

Lori Boyer

Contract Registrar

email: lori-boyer

Gabrielle Butler (Global Health and Biology '25)

Communications & Administrative Aide

gabbybutler2025 [at] u.northwestern.edu

I assist in updating Block Museum subscriptions, publishing website content, and general clerical assistant duties. I also support administrative research and other organizational tasks.

Aaron Chatman

Manager of Visitor Services

phone: 847.491.7536
email: a-chatman

Contact me regarding The Block’s Visitor Services team, catalog sales, and any thoughts or feedback on visitor experience. I would be happy to connect with students and faculty on questions related to customer service within museums, tracking attendance statistics, and ensuring the safety of museum facilities, staff, visitors, and works of art including knowledge of security, fire, CCTV, audiovisual, and climate control systems.

Jordan Poorman Cocker

2021-2024 Terra Foundation Guest Co-Curator of Indigenous Art

email: jordan.cocker

Jordan Poorman Cocker (Kiowa) is an Indigenous curator, scholar, and artist, an enrolled member of the Kiowa Tribe and of Tongan descent. She holds a Bachelor of Design from Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, with a focus on spatial design and Indigenous design theory. She received a master’s of Museum and Heritage Practice from Victoria University of Wellington in 2017, where her practicum included the study of Indigenous museum practices with the National Museum of New Zealand. She is a PhD. candidate with Auckland University of Technology. Her Indigenous curatorial methodology and approach utilizes oral histories, multivocality and Indigenous knowledge systems to explore intergenerational relationships within Indigenous Art Forms from community-based lenses. Jordan currently serves as the Block Museum’s 2021-2024 Terra Foundation Guest Co-Curator of Indigenous Art.

Janet Dees

Steven and Lisa Munster Tananbaum Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

phone: 847.491.8016
email: janet.dees
About Janet

I develop exhibitions in the areas of modern and contemporary art, and as part of the curatorial team work to strategically expand the museum’s collection in those areas. My research foci include contemporary art in the Americas, performance art, the construction of race in American art, and the ways in which contemporary artists engage with history, with particular commitments to the production of African American, African diasporic, and Native American and Indigenous contemporary artists.

Sarah Dwider

Art History Graduate Fellow, 2021–22

Madie Giaconia (Radio/TV/Film and Art History, 2024)

Undergraduate Curatorial Intern

email: MadieGiaconia2024@u.northwestern.edu

I assist with the Block’s inventory project and collections research, particularly the photographs of W. Eugene Smith.

Corinne Granof

Academic Curator

phone: 847.491.4980
email: c-granof

Contact me for information on teaching with the collection, graduate fellowships and our undergraduate curatorial internship program. As academic curator, I aim to foster faculty and student engagement with artworks in the museum collection through exhibitions, museum visits, research, and special projects. My background is 20^thcentury American and European art, with a focus on Weimar Germany in the 1920s and the United States in the 1960s.

Malia Haines-Stewart

Associate Film Programmer

phone: 847.467.6045
email: malia.haines-stewart

Contact me for information about Block Cinema’s programs as well as opportunities for collaboration with students, faculty, and community partners. I would be happy to discuss the process of film programming, on and off-campus partnerships, student work positions, and any logistical questions related to the Block’s online screenings.

Carl Kauffman

Assistant to the Registrar

email: carl.kauffman

Isabella Ko

Engagement Coordinator

phone: 847.491.4852
email: isabella.ko

Alongside my colleagues América and Erin, I plan and create public programs; contribute to event promotion and broader outreach; and provide departmental administrative support. I seek to work at the intersection of contemporary artistic/cultural production, education, and community-building. Always happy to connect!

Mark Leonhart

Lead Preparator

email: mark.leonhart

I’m responsible for the physical handling and installation of artworks and exhibitions. I can consult with students, faculty, and university and museum colleagues on best practices and innovative solutions.

Rebecca Lyon

Head Projectionist

phone: 847.467.6045
email: r-lyon

Contact me for questions about upcoming screenings, Block Cinema, and The Block auditorium's technical capabilities. I would be happy to connect with student and faculty researchers on subjects related to 16mm or 35mm film projection, DCP creation and testing, and livestreaming for virtual programs.

Emily Martin

Curatorial Research Associate

email: emily.martin

Michael Metzger

Pick-Laudati Curator of Media Arts

phone: 847.491.2448
email: michael.metzger

My role at The Block encompasses curation of media art in the galleries and in the Block’s auditorium. I direct Block Cinema, a film series that showcases contemporary global cinema and revival screenings, often featuring in-person discussions and collaborations across campus. Across curation, writing, and teaching, I seek to generate knowledge, experience, and community through the moving image. I’m always eager to partner with students and faculty on film programs, guest filmmaker visits, class screenings, and curriculum development.

Erin Northington

Susan and Stephen Wilson Associate Director, Campus and Community Education and Engagement

phone: 847.467.5034
email: erin.northington

I lead collaboration on The Block’s education and engagement programs for campus and community partners. My areas of interest include higher education, interdisciplinary teaching and learning in academic art museums, co-curricular programming, and how museums can support identity formation and development for college students.

Rocio Olasimbo

Visitors Services Officer

I welcome and direct visitors to the galleries and answer readily any questions they may have pertaining to the galleries, exhibits, programs, and events. I enjoy meeting the vast variety of people with different cultural backgrounds and art preferences.

æryka hollis o’neil

Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellow, 2021–22

Elisa Miller Quinlan

Director of Development

phone: 847.491.4178
email: elisa.quinlan

My role at The Block is to oversee the museum’s fundraising efforts to ensure we have the resources we need each year to accomplish our goals and realize our mission. I work as part of Northwestern’s Alumni Relations and Development team. My areas of expertise and interest include helping donors create lasting impact through their philanthropy, non-profit development, non-profit management, and arts and higher-education fundraising.

Emmanuel Ramos-Barajas

Media and Communications Coordinator

email: ramosbarajas

Contact me for any inquiries regarding our media presence, our social platforms, or if you notice any errors on our website, publications, or advertisements; I can also share images of past events for any marketing needs. I can consult with students and faculty researchers on graphic design, video production, podcast editing, social media best practices, Mexican cinema, or utilizing museum archives for creative purposes.

Essi Rönkkö

Associate Curator of Collections

phone: 847.467.5896
email: essi.ronkko

Contact me with questions about how to incorporate objects in The Block’s collection into teaching at Northwestern. I am also interested in connecting around my research interests related to gender in the ancient Mediterranean and subjects related to curricular programming in the context of academic museums.

América Salomón

Manager of Public Programs

phone: 847.467.6046
email: america.salomon

Contact me about public programs offerings at the Block, and with collaborative programmatic inquiries. My interest areas include museum education and engagement, interdisciplinary teaching and learning through art, and artmaking/artistic practice.

Joseph Scott

Collections and Exhibitions Coordinator

phone: 847.467.0734
email: joseph.scott

Contact me with questions about the collection, collection care, potential collection visits, and rights and reproduction requests. I am able to consult widely on exhibition details and planning.

Hadia Shaikh

Assistant to the Director

phone: 847.491.5893
email: hadia.shaikh

Contact me for inquires relating to the Director’s Office. I am also happy to connect with visitors, students, staff, and faculty regarding general museum questions and requests.

Rita Shorts

Business Administrator

phone: 847.491.4002
email: d-shorts

I am responsible for payroll, accounts payable, purchasing, procurement, and supporting finance and budget, and providing support to the museum staff in various administrative capacities. Please contact me if you have any questions in these areas. I particularly look forward to meeting and onboarding our students at the beginning of each fiscal year.

Dan Silverstein

Associate Director of Collections and Exhibition Management

phone: 847.491.4592
email: d-silverstein

I lead a collaborative team of talented collections and exhibitions logistics staff at The Block Museum and I would be happy to consult on topics such as exhibition design, implementation, and planning, as well as collection care and management. I am particularly interested in how art-related ideas are translated into both physical and digital spaces.

Jeff Smith

Senior Business Administrator

phone: 847.467.3969
email: jeffsmith

I would be happy to connect with student and faculty researchers on subjects related to finance, budget, facilities and security in the arts.

James Stauber

Visitors Services Officer

My main objective is to keep both the art and visitors safe. I enjoy meeting new people during my workday.

Melanie Garcia Sympson

Curatorial Associate, Collections Information and Digital Interpretation

phone: 847.467.6310
email: melanie.sympson

Contact me for research inquiries about objects in The Block’s collection. I would be happy to connect with students, faculty, and colleagues with an interest in digital humanities projects, cataloguing practices, object-based research, and adult learning.

Vincent Taylor

Visitors Services Officer

My role at the Block Museum is to ensure a positive visitor experience. My interest lies in the world arena of different cultures.

Kate Hadley Toftness

Senior Advancement Manager, Grants and Collection Council

phone: 847.491.5209
email: kh.toftness

Please contact me regarding foundation relations and grants management. My areas of expertise and interest include arts nonprofit fundraising, strategic planning, and collection-based programs and initiatives, including serving as the museum’s liaison to our Collection Council.

Amelia Mylvaganam (Radio/Television/Film & Computer Science 2023)

Curatorial Research Aide

I work on projects related to The Block's collection database and provide research support for the Curatorial department.

Installation Crew Spring 2021

Dave Ford
Steve Lalik
Ty Wubbenhorst