MEET THE STAFF
Meet the people whose hard work brings engaging science to children in Yolo County and beyond!
Explorit is governed by a volunteer board of trustees and operated by a professional staff with the assistance of many loyal volunteers.
EMILY ANDERSON
Program Director
Emily began her work in the museum world as an education program volunteer 25 years ago. She gained experience as she advanced in the museum field in a variety of rolls, including program educator, animal care, camp coordinator, exhibit design, construction, and education program manager. Emily received a bachelor's degree in anthropology from UC Davis, with a minor in human development, and a master's degree in anthropology, with an emphasis in historical archaeology, from the College of William and Mary.
One of her earliest childhood memory goes back to 1979 when her family traveled to the De Young Museum in San Francisco to see The Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibit. She remembers circling each exhibit area over and over, as you were not allowed to reenter an area once you exited. Her most deeply held goal is for every visitor to have a similar experience when they come to Explorit Science Center.
SARA THOMPSON
Sara Thompson was born and raised in Montana and has always enjoyed science and nature. She attended Montana State University where she studied Paleontology and Museum Studies. She came to California in 2012 and began volunteering at Explorit Science Center. She accepted a part-time paid position at Explorit in 2015 working the Public Hours and weekend science themed Birthday Parties. Over the years her experience and responsibilities grew, and she is now a Program Educator and the Volunteer Coordinator. Sara wants to continue working in museums and advocating the importance scientific learning. Her career goals are to be a Collections Manager of a Paleontology or Earth Science collection at a Natural History Museum.
ANNA FANTASIA
Office Manager
Anna graduated from UC Davis with degrees in Literature and Cultural Anthropology, with an emphasis in Archaeology and the Humanities. For 25 years, she has worked exclusively in the Museum industry in visitor services, gift shop, administrative and office management positions. She served for several years as secretary for SAM (Sacramento Area Museums), and sat on the board of the Ione Historical Foundation at Preston Castle.
In her spare time, she enjoys giving historical/paranormal fusion tours at a local History Museum. This Spring, she presented "The Yokai Invasion, a View of Japanese Folkloric Traditions" at the Oregon Paranormal Conference. At Explorit, you can often find her scheduling educational programs, corresponding with teachers, families, and local businesses, and handling the day to day finances. She is excited to offer support to the education staff so they can continue to provide the best science programming in the region.
DAVID MUES
Education Specialist, Naturalist
David has been a science educator for over 35 years. He works with audiences of all ages, sharing the wonders of the universe and helping people understand that science is for everyone. With an educational background in biology, he now brings his knowledge of and enthusiasm for areas ranging from astronomy to zoology. He is excited to be part of the Explorit team, and looks forward to engaging our visitors in lifelong learning.
GRACE LAWLOR
Educaton Specialist, Naturalist
Grace has been working as an outdoor educator for over 5 years and has a degree in Agricultural and Environmental Education from UC Davis. She has a passion for experiential and hands-on learning, and thinks that there is no greater place to both teach and learn than in the great outdoors. A larger goal of hers is to expand the accessibility of outdoor recreation to all people, and to connect more children and people to their natural world. She is excited to join the Explorit team, and hopes to show students how exciting science and discovery can be!