Staff
All Block Museum staff emails conclude with @northwestern.eduLisa Graziose Corrin
The Ellen Philips Katz Director
phone: 847.491.2562
fax: 847.467.4609
email inquiries to jenna.robertson
About Lisa
Kathleen Bickford Berzock
Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs
phone: 847.467.5047email: 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.Lindsay Bosch
Senior Manager of Marketing & Communications
phone: 847.467.4602email: lindsay.boschContact 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: 847.491.5601email: 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.Rikki Byrd
2020-2021 Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellow
email: rikkibyrd2023@u.northwestern.edu
Aaron Chatman
Manager of Visitor Services
phone: 847.491.7536email: 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.Janet Dees
Steven and Lisa Munster Tananbaum Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art
phone: 847.491.8016email: janet.deesI 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.
Corinne Granof
Academic Curator
phone: 847.491.4980email: c-granofContact me for information on teaching with the collection and graduate fellowships. 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 20thcentury 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.Bethany Hill
2020-21 Art History Graduate Fellow
email: bethanyhill2025@u.northwestern.edu
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: 847.467.6045email: r-lyonContact 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.
Michael Metzger
Pick-Laudati Curator of Media Arts
phone: 847.491.2448email: 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
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.Jenna Robertson
Assistant to the Director
phone: 847.491.5893email: jenna.robertson 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. I also welcome requests for events at the Block on a very limited basis. 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 or about our undergraduate curatorial internship program. 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
Engagement Coordinator and Educator
phone: 847.467.6046
email: america.salomon
Contact me for museum visits, programs, collaborative inquiries, and about our Student Docent program. I would be happy to connect with student and faculty researchers on subjects related to museum education and engagement, including object-based teaching and learning, in-gallery experiences, and artmaking.Joseph Scott
Collections and Exhibitions Coordinator
phone: 847.467.0734
email: joseph.scottContact 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.
Rita Shorts
Business Administrator
phone: 847.491.4002email: d-shortsI 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: 847.491.4592email: 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: 847.467.3969email: 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
Alisa Swindell
Curatorial Research Associate
email: alisa.swindell
My role at the Block is to conduct research and assist in the development of a special exhibition. My personal areas of research are the history of photography and other modes of contemporary art with a focus on race and sexuality. My current major research project is on how notions of desire were created and maintained during the height of the AIDS crisis by artists with a photographic practice who are associated with communities most affected by the crisis.
Melanie Garcia Sympson
Curatorial Associate
phone: 847.467.6310
email: melanie.sympson
Contact me for general inquiries to the Curatorial department and 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
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.Danielle Llevada (Theater, SoC 2023)
Communications & Administrative Aide
I assist in updating Block Museum subscriptions and publishing website content. I also support administrative research and other organizational tasks. Janitza Luna (Weinberg 2024)
Curatorial Research Assistant
I provide research support for the Curatorial department and contribute to digital accessibility projects.
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.Joyce Wang (Weinberg 2024)
Curatorial Research Assistant
I provide research support for the Curatorial department and contribute to digital accessibility projects.