Kathy Burton Jones
Director, Museum Studies, Harvard Extension School
Katherine Jones holds the role of Program Director for the Museum Studies program at the Harvard University Extension School, where she has been an integral part of the faculty for over 15 years. Since 2004, she has also served as the Research Advisor for the program. Previously, Katherine served as the Assistant Dean for Information Technology and Media Services at the Harvard Divinity School for nine years. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in shaping the technological landscape of the institution. From 1994 to 2000, Katherine served as an Assistant Director at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, where she championed the development of websites and visual resources across all Harvard museums. She successfully raised funds for various public-facing technology projects, including the notable virtual exhibit, “Against the Winds: American Indian Running Traditions.” 1997), published by the American Association of Museums, and “Museum Informatics: People, Information, and Technology in Museums” (with Paul F. Marty, 2007), published by Routledge. She is currently collaborating with Professor Marty on an upcoming book about the history of museum computing through oral histories spanning 60+ years from professionals in the field. Her extensive research also includes numerous articles and conference presentations on topics related to museum studies over the past two decades. Her current research interests focus on applying artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing to museum databases in order to address challenges involving deaccessioning, visitor engagement, analyzing language used to describe collections to make it more accessible and less derogatory, and leveraging museum data to provide insights about climate change.
The Salata Institute
The Salata Institute supports interdisciplinary research that leads to real-world action, including high-risk/high-reward projects by researchers already working in the climate area and new endeavors that make it easier for Harvard scholars, who have not worked on climate problems, to do so. Faculty interested in the Climate Research Clusters program should note an upcoming deadline for concepts on April 1, 2024.