Meet the People of UMMA
This is UMMA — a passionate group of individuals who believe that art is a fundamental human right. We are a collective and a culture. A collective driven by the importance of accessible art in our communities. A culture sustained and strengthened by respecting everyone’s voice and contribution.
Director’s
Office
734.763.9954
olsenc@umich.edu
You can usually find me... in storage, exclaiming over new acquisitions!
Christina Olsen
Director, University of Michigan Museum of Art
(she/her)
734.763.9954
fikes@umich.edu
When not at UMMA I love going for long walks with my husband and our dogs, connecting with my family, reading, baking and enjoying a great meal with good friends!
Sandy Fike
Executive Assistant to the Director
734.615.2827
alisunnj@umich.edu
Outside of UMMA... I like playing with my kids, working on home renovation and design projects, and going to the farmer's market on Saturdays.
Alisunn Jones
Manager of Special Projects & Strategic Implementation
(she/her)
Art in Public Spaces
jrcarty@umich.edu
Jenny Carty
Curator of Art in Public Spaces
734.615.7754
elarso@umich.edu
You can usually find me... popping into curators' offices to check on exhibition progress.
Erika Larson
Manager of Art in Public Spaces
(she/her)
Collections
& Registration
My fondest memory from working at the museum is the Student Appreciation event. It really helped me come closer to my co-workers and establish a deeper connection to the workplace community.
Cal
Student Art Handler
734.764.1178
ccgross@umich.edu
You can usually find me... in collection storage admiring my favorite pieces of art.
Corey Gross
Chief Registrar
(he/him/his)
qianhe@umich.edu
For conservation requests, please reach out to my colleague Katie Prichard
Qian He
Asian Art Conservator
734.647.0527
katprich@umich.edu
My fondest memory at UMMA is... unpacking and cataloguing my favorite artwork in the collection, 'Journey Without Maps VIII' by David Budd.
Katie Prichard
Associate Registrar
(she/her)
Carly is a Senior pursuing a degree in Anthropological Archaeology, focusing in Maritime Archaeology and the study of Oceania. Carly is interested in Museum Studies and indigenous approaches to archaeology.
Carly
2024 SAB Member & Art Handler
(she/her)
734.764.8873
katstadt@umich.edu
You can usually find me... cataloging the collection and updating the database.
Katie Stadtmiller
Assistant Registrar
(she/her)
Curatorial
Affairs
734.647.0526
ldbecker@umich.edu
You can usually find me... needlepointing during meetings
Laura De Becker
Chief Curator Helmut and Candis Stern Curator of African Art
(she/her)
734.764.2426
jfriess@umich.edu
You can usually find me... debating between a small and large coffee at the UMMA Cafe.
Jennifer M. Friess
Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs Associate Curator of Photography
(she/her)
When I'm not working on museum projects, I enjoy working out and volunteering around Ann Arbor. I am also a Ph.D. student in the History of Art department and one of my favorite things to do is to take my students to visit UMMA.
Róisín
Graduate Student Curatorial Intern
(she/her)
karakfma@umich.edu
Outside of UMMA... I enjoy exploring local coffee shops and visiting the Farmers Market.
Kara Ma
Program Manager of the Chinese Object Study Workshops & Chinese Art Research Specialist
(she/her)
734.763.0804
avmiller@umich.edu
Outside of UMMA... I like to run around the playground with my son and seek out any bit of nature I can find.
Ashley Miller
Assistant Curator of African Art
(she/her)
734.647.0523
onatsu@umich.edu
You can usually find me... looking at an art work in study rooms or galleries.
Natsu Oyobe, PhD
Curator of Asian Art
What is your most niche personal interest... I love grocery shopping - the thrill of fresh produce!
Sarah
Graduate Student Curatorial Intern
robinkwi@umich.edu
The art movement that best matches my personal vibe is 1970s New York — raw, conceptual, spiritual; great jeans and taste in music.
Robin K. Williams
Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art
(she/her)
Chang
Graduate Student Curatorial Intern
Development
734.647.2064
meaclark@umich.edu
Outside of UMMA... I love going on adventures with my family, traveling, enjoying Michigan summers, reading, making pottery, and exploring other museums.
Meaghan Clark
Assistant Director of Development, Annual Giving & Events
(she/her)
734.764.1983
jemcc@umich.edu
My fondest memory at UMMA...was being a part of all the reopening festivities when the Frankel wing was completed. It was amazing to see all the excitement as visitors experienced it for the first time.
Jenna Morgan
Stewardship Manager
(she/her)
734.647.3132
syrichar@umich.edu
You can usually find me... grabbing an iced latte at the UMMA Café!
Sydney Richards
Associate Director of Development, Individual Giving
(she/her)
Annie is a senior studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience with a minor in Gender and Health.
Annie
2024 SAB Member, Student Program Assistant, & Development Intern
734.647.0516
asamps@umich.edu
You can usually find me... talking with curators about their ideas for new exhibitions.
Anna Sampson
Chief Development Officer
(she/her)
sschwind@umich.edu
When I'm not at UMMA, you can find me scoring thrift finds with my daughter, wrenching on my vintage Jeep with my son, or hiking with my St. Bernard mix, Pancho.
Sherris Anne Schwind
Senior Associate Director of Development, Institutional Giving
Exhibitions
& Publications
734.764.8319
mdcasad@umich.edu
Matt Casadonte
Senior Exhibitions Technician
734.936.0163
andco@umich.edu
You can usually find me... pouring over spreadsheets and, on the best days, seeing an exhibition or a project get installed. In my free time at the museum I love to wander the galleries – you can always find things you haven't noticed before.
Andrew Cohen
Exhibitions & Programs Project Manager
(he/him)
734.615.8186
kaweiss@umich.edu
"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." -Dolly Parton
Katie Derosier
Director of Exhibitions & Publications
(she/her)
734.763.8453
alexanea@umich.edu
You can usually find me... helping prepare artwork for display in the museum's collections rooms and doing a variety of tasks to prep for upcoming exhibitions.
Alexandra Eason
Assistant Exhibitions Technician
(she/her)
734.764.8012
kholoka@umich.edu
You can usually find me... installing art in the galleries.
Kate Holoka
Senior Exhibitions Technician
(she/her)
734.615.2796
savah@umich.edu
You can usually find me... deep in thought playing around with ideas for engaging exhibition graphics.
Savanna Homes
Exhibitions Graphic Designer
(she/her)
734.764.3894
erindahl@umich.edu
My fondest memory at UMMA is...the fall 2023 opening weekend - it was amazing to see the museum buzzing with excitement, and for all of the hard work and ideas to come to fruition!
Emily Rindahl
Exhibitions & Publications Project Manager
(she/her)
Finance
& Operations
734.647.0985
efarrel@umich.edu
Outside of UMMA... I like to read, write, watch movies, & listen to/play music! And maybe a little splash of video games...
Ethan Farrelly
Financial Specialist
(he/him)
Outside of UMMA, I play rugby! I am currently on the UM Women's team and we have won two national championships.
Ella
Student Event Host
(she/they)
734.764.4596
marlie@umich.edu
What is your most niche personal interest...I collect VHS tapes and enjoy creating themed double feature movie nights.
Marlie Hooper
Events Host Assistant
(she/her)
734.660.5804
jmorehe@umich.edu
Outside of UMMA... I like to spend time with my family and pets, host book club, and go on silly friend dates.
Jenna Morehead
Facilities Manager
(she/her)
734.647.0521
hnickel@umich.edu
You can usually find... me in the shop, merchandising and working with my wonderful staff of Shop Sales Reps and Visitor's Services Navigators.
Hayden Nickel
Retail Operations Assistant Manager
"There is nothing more artistic than to love people"
Juana
Student Event Host
(she/her)
734.763.9051
nvanh@umich.edu
You can usually find me... unboxing new product arrivals in the UMMA Shop!
Neil A. Van Houten
Retail Operations Manager
(he/him)
Fictional characters that might best represent me are both Dipper and Mabel Pines from 'Gravity Falls'. Dipper, like me, is curious, loves learning, and can be very type-A. Like Mabel, I love sweaters and can be more relaxed and fun around people I feel close to.
Kaitlyn
Student Event Host
(she/her)
Marketing
& Public Relations
734.647.0524
ankney@umich.edu
Christopher Ankney
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
(he/him)
bickelk@umich.edu
If I was a dessert, I would like to be a Madeleine, their recipe is timeless and true - plus they look so cool!
Kate Bickel
Marketing Project Assistant
(she/her)
nkagerer@umich.edu
You can usually find me...walking around the museum talking with guests, getting inspiration, or taking photo and video for social media... follow us @ummamuseum :)
Neil Kagerer
Community Marketing & Social Media Specialist
(he/him)
moatru@umich.edu
Outside of UMMA I like... being out on a hike taking pictures of every single flower, mushroom, or bug I see.
Molly Trudeau
Web Content Specialist
(she/her)
Museum
Technology
773.987.6527
shayla@umich.edu
You can usually find me... in the basement working on bug fixes.
Shayla Johnson
Web Applications Developer
You can usually find me...coding on the apse couches, consuming an embarrassing number of iced coffees at the cafe, perusing the store for memorabilia.
Anushka
Student Web Developer
(she/her)
734.763.0256
jmturner@umich.edu
You can usually find me... quietly helping other staff so they can make a positive impact on our visitors.
John Turner
Director of Museum Technology
(he/him)
Public Experience
& Learning
734.615.9815
lherbert@umich.edu
Lisa Herbert Borgsdorf
Associate Director for Public Experience & Learning
(she/her)
734.615.8181
dchoberk@umich.edu
You can usually find me... talking about art.
David Choberka
Mellon Foundation Curator for University Learning and Programs
(he/him)
734.846.6108
briannon@umich.edu
You can usually find me... hanging out with UMMA's Student Advisory Board members, devising awesome student programming, introducing them to the wonderful world of museum work, and being a hype-woman for their creative social media endeavors.
Briannon Cierpilowski
Manager of Student Programs
mahalina@umich.edu
Mahalina Dimacali
Program Coordinator
(she/they/siya)
You can usually find me... teaching. in a gallery
Michaela
University Learning & Programs Rackham Doctoral Intern
(she/her)
kafi@umich.edu
Kafi Laramore
K-12 Teaching & Learning Coordinator
734.678.0903
jleija@umich.edu
You can usually find me... with the PEL team strategizing about upcoming events and other activities in the museum.
James P. Leija
Deputy Director for Public Experience and Learning
(he/they)
Stella is a Junior studying Art and Design and Political Science with a minor in Urban Studies.
Stella
2024 SAB Member & Student Program Assistant
(they/them)
Annie is a senior studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience with a minor in Gender and Health.
Annie
2024 SAB Member, Student Program Assistant, & Development Intern
Eva Rosenwald
Outreach Coordinator for Civic Engagement
“She quietly expected great things to happen to her, and no doubt that’s one of the reasons why they did.” ― Zelda Fitzgerald
Robyn Thum-O’Brien
Irving Stenn Jr. Fellow in Public Humanities and Museum Pedagogy
(she/her)
734.615.6247
mdegroo@umich.edu
You can usually find me... in the galleries with a group of young students and teachers.
Grace VanderVliet
Curator for Museum Teaching and Learning
(she/her)
Visitor Services and Retail
Aine
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
Outside of work at UMMA... I love to create art of my own! I crochet and knit, sew, paint, sketch, and dance. I also love the research I do on Bipolar Disorder in the EmoTe lab on campus, and enjoy spending time with my friends and my sweet cat, Lola!
Lillie
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/they)
Outside of UMMA I like... I like to travel because a lot of art works are inspired by natural scenery. While enjoying the natural scenery, I can also personally appreciate the different aesthetics displayed in the paintings.
Biying
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
If I was a fictional character, I'd be Stitch because I am small, feisty, spunky, and willing to do anything from my family. I also am a tad obsessed with him and am an avid collector of Stitch items!
Kari
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
Outside of UMMA I like... being outdoors, whether it be running, hiking, biking, swimming, camping, or sitting in the sunshine with a good book.
Anna
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
My fondest memory from working at the museum is when I met Janie Paul and got to speak to her about what she is doing in STAMPS for the Prison Creatives Arts Project. It was very inspiring.
Leah
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
Outside of UMMA, I’m pursuing a degree in art and design at the University of Michigan. I have a deep love for creativity and enjoy working with various artistic mediums.
Jacob
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(he/him)
Sophie
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
What is your most niche personal interest...the history of medicine and anatomical art
Caroline
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
The piece of art that best matches my personal vibe is, 'Near the Lake' by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, simply because I could stare at it for hours.
Lejla
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
You can usually find me... helping guests out, whether in the shop or the front desk.
Amarilis
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
If I was a dessert, I think I would be Baklava! Sweet, nutty, and a bit messy.
Nikki
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
Outside of the UMMA I am studying mechanical engineering with a focus on sustainability and the built environment.
Khushi
Student Shop & Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
Outside of UMMA, I enjoy reading, knitting, and spending time with friends and family.
Rahma
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
Outside of UMMA I like... to hike and explore new places
Terahnia
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
Daja
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
What is your most niche personal interest...I am a huge Ancient mythology nerd, specifically Greek/Roman but any ancient mythologies. I love learning mythologies from any culture.
Breea
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
My most niche personal interests (which aren't niche at all) are probably collecting vinyls and anything marvel!
Kendal
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
Outside of UMMA, I enjoy painting at the park, going to concerts, and spending time with the people I love!
Alexa
Student Shop/Visitor Services Rep
(she/her)
UMMA Leadership Board
The UMMA Leadership Board (ULB) is a volunteer advisory board created and supported by UMMA to provide strategic guidance on issues of advocacy and fundraising for the Museum.
Meet the ULBStudent Advisory Board
The Student Advisory Board (SAB) is dedicated to creating a culturally inclusive community through programmatic efforts, and amplifying student voices to shape the museum.
Meet the SAB