Heather Harris

Heather Harris received her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, specializing in aesthetic education. Her research focuses on collaborative processes in art museum education, especially in long-term and multi-visit projects. Her dissertation work is a qualitative case-study of a weeklong curriculum-integrated museum experience for students in grades 3-5. 

She serves as the Curator of Education at the Art Museum of West Virginia University where she designs curriculum-integrated experiences for PK-12, undergraduate, and graduate students. She also creates inclusive and accessible programing for WVU’s faculty, staff, and students, as well as the broader community. 

Harris teaches museums studies courses that emphasize hands-on experiences for students in the galleries of the Art Museum of WVU and beyond. Museums in Society introduces students to the theory and practice of museums, and Museums in Action explores the many ways that museums connect with communities through education, engagement and outreach. In her teaching, Harris employs learner-centered pedagogies that encourage analyzing the museum experience from diverse perspectives.

Harris has published work in the Journal of Museum Education and is an active member of the National Art Education Association’s Museum Education division. She has been a fellow in Fulbright Germany’s Transatlantic Seminar for Museum Educators and Curators and is currently a member of WVU’s ADVANCE team, where she specializes in group facilitation.