Max Evjen
- (he/him/his)
- evjendav@msu.edu
- Linton 308
- Assitant Director of Engagmeent and Communication
- Digital Humanities
Biography
Max Evjen has more than 15 years of experience in arts and cultural management as well as informal science learning. He was the Artistic and Executive Director of Redshift Productions, an organization that facilitated collaboration among scientists and artists to create performances in New York City and Ithaca, NY. He continued informal science education work as the Director of Learning Programs at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, where he was responsible for the success of 25 different onsite, offsite, and online learning experiences, and with the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University where he designed activity stations and the evaluation plan for the Phoenix Art Museum’s Leonardo Da Vinci’s Codex Leicester and the Power of Observation exhibition. Max also worked with Cornell University’s Interaction Design Lab on the development and implementation of mobile device applications Sundial and Moboogie.In addition to those roles, Max worked as an actor and freelance theatrical technician in New York City, and worked as a teaching artist for Stages of Learning, teaching New York City public middle school children curriculum through acting skills, while conducting professional development with public school teachers. Most recently, he is Assistant Director of Engagement and Communication in the Digital Humanities Program and teaches in the Arts, Cultural Management and Museum Studies Program in the College of Arts and Letters at MSU. He was a Program Co-Chair for the Museum Computer Network (MCN) 2021 international virtual conference, and has been on the MCN board since 2022. Max earned a BFA (Cum Laude) in Performing Arts: Acting with Honors in Liberal Studies from Adelphi University (1998), a Master of Business Administration from Ithaca College (2008), and a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University (2012). He is guitar and vocals in Two-Body Problem.
Works
Publications:
#MCN2020 Recap (Professor and Grad Student edition)
Max Evjen, Natalie Zasadil, Julia Meyer
Medium Post, Jan 11, 2021
Museum Mascots: Worth Your Time, or Not?
Max Evjen, Medium Post, July 15, 2019
https://medium.com/@evjendav/museum-mascots-worth-your-time-or-not-a8202ffbe137
MW19 Takeaways: Very Late Edition
Max Evjen, Medium Post, April 23rd, 2019
https://medium.com/@evjendav/mw19-takeaways-very-late-edition-cf4c62dba446
Closer than They Appear: Drawing Lessons from Development Processes for Museum Technology, Exhibitions, and Theatrical Productions
Max Evjen and David McKenzie (2019)
in Humanizing the Digital Museum: Unproceedings from the Museum Computer Network 2018 Conference. https://ad-hoc-museum-collective.github.io/humanizing-the-digital/chapters/10/
Evjen, Max. “Prototyping AR in a University Museum: How User Tests Informed an Accessibility Plan Including and Beyond the Museum.” MW19: MW 2019. Published February 15, 2019. Consulted March 19, 2019.
Museums and Digital Strategy Today
Rob Stein, Max Evjen, Emily Lytle-Painter, Dana Allen-Greil
American Alliance of Museums, Alliance Labs, July 10, 2017. Blog Post. Retrieved from: http://labs.aam-us.org/blog/museums-and-digital-strategy-today/
SunDial: Embodied Informal Science Education Using GPS
Megan Halpern, Max Evjen, Dan Cosley, Michael Lin, Stephen Tseou, Erica Horowitz, Tejaswi Peesapati, & Geri Gay, (2011) MedieKultur: Special Issue on Museums and Technology. 27(50), 48-65.
Conference Proceedings:
Evjen, Max. “Prototyping AR in a University Museum: How User Tests Informed an Accessibility Plan Including and Beyond the Museum.”
In R.Cherry and N. Proctor (eds.) selected proceedings from MuseWeb 2019, Published March 26, 2019.
Moboogie: Creative Expression Through Whole Body Musical Interaction
Megan Halpern, Jakob Tholander, Max Evjen, Stuart Davis, Andrew Ehrlich, Kyle Schustak, Eric Baumer, Geri Gay, (2011) In proceedings of SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing (CHI 2011) Vancouver, BC, Canada. May 7 – 12. pp. 557 – 560. Honorable Mention: (among top 5% CHI notes 2011).
Diffusing Science: Designing Communication Processes to Disseminate Scientific Concepts
Max Evjen and G. Scott Erickson, (2008). In Proceedings of the 4th Annual Art of Management in Organizations Conference. Banff, Alberta, Canada. September 9-12. pp 687 – 700.
Presentations/Workshops:
Where is the #musetech community online?
Forthcoming, 45 minute session
MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2025
Minneapolis, MN, October 20-22
Personal or Organization Digital Engagement Strategy
Forthcoming, Workshop
MMA (Michigan Museums Association) 2025
East Lansing, MI October 13-15
What is the New Ideal #musetech Syllabus Now?
45-minute session
MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2024
Lawrence, KS, October 22-24
Public is a Myth: There is no such thing as “General Public”
Ignite Talk at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2023
Philadelphia, PA Nov 8-10
What is the Future of Remote Work?
Professional Forum at MuseWeb 2023
Washington, DC April 3-5
The Chatroom Where it Happens: What is Theatre, and why is it following me?
Professional Forum at MuseWeb 2023
Washington, DC April 3-5
Cultivating Partnerships in Digital Humanities
Panel Presentation at Association of College and Research Libraries – University Library Section 2022 – Virtual, November
Cover Letters and Interviews: What is the Job Market Now?
Professional Development Session at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2021
Virtual, October & November
Digital Presence and Personal (Or Organizational) Digital Strategy
Workshop at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2021
Virtual, October & November
Digital Presence and Personal Digital Strategy
Workshop at MuseWeb 2021
Virtual, April 5-8
The Show Must Go On: Lessons from Theatre for #Musetech in a COVID-19 World.
Professional Forum at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2020
Virtual, November 10-12, 17-19
Connecting Students to Professionals Using Social Media: Twitter in a Learning in Museums Course
Professional Forum at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2020
Virtual, November 10-12, 17-19
Connecting Students to Professionals Using Social Media: Twitter in a Learning in Museums Course
Presentation at MSU 2020 Spring Conference on Teaching, Learning and Student Success
East Lansing MI, May 4-6 (Conference Canceled)
Heroes to Pixar: Strategies for Creating Stories Using Your Collections
Professional Forum at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2019
San Diego, CA. Nov 5-8
Collaboration, Iteration, and Exchange: Academic Museums as Digital Laboratories
Professional Forum at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2019
San Diego, CA. Nov 5-8
Thinking Like A Bear: Building a Social Media Training Plan with a Museum Mascot in a University Museum
Conversation Station at AMM/MMA (Alliance of Midwest Museums/Michigan Museums Association) joint conference 2019
Grand Rapids, MI Oct 2-4
Prototyping AR in a University Museum: How User Tests Informed an Accessibility Plan Including and Beyond the Museum
Presentation at MuseWeb 2019
Boston MA, April 2-6
Providing Choice and Control for Those with Difficulty Hearing in a 360 Video Environment
Lightning Talk at MuseWeb 2019
Boston MA, April 2-6
Providing Choice and Control for Those with Difficulty Hearing in a 360 Video Environment
Presentation at MSU’s Accessible Learning Conference 2018
East Lansing, MI. Dec 6-7
Museum Access Hack: Advance Work for Museum Accessibility
Presentation at MSU’s Accessible Learning Conference 2018
East Lansing, MI, Dec 6-7
Jazz Hands Out!: Why #Musetech Should Be Like Theatre
Ignite Talk at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2018
Denver, CO. Nov 13-16
A Bear, A Mammoth, and A Sheep Walk Into a Bar: Museum Twitter Mascots in Small to Mid-Sized Organizations
Presentation at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2018
Denver, CO. Nov 13-16
Humanizing the Un-Conference
Session at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2018
Denver, CO. Nov 13-16
Thinking Like A Bear: Building a Social Media Training Plan with a Museum Mascot in a University Museum
Demonstration at Museums and the Web 2018
Vancouver, Canada April 18-21
Co-Creation of Museum Experiences for Individuals with Low or No Vision
Presentation at MSU’s Accessible Learning Conference 2017
East Lansing, MI, Dec 1-2
Collaborations That Work: Designing Effective and Inclusive Academic Partnerships in Museums
Session at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2017
Pittsburgh, PA. Nov. 7-10
Best Practices for Creating Meaningful AR/VR Experiences
Session at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2017
Pittsburgh, PA. Nov. 7-10
No Experience Necessary: How to Bring Change Through Strategy Development
“How-To” Demonstration at Michigan Museums Association Annual Meeting 2017
Lansing, MI. Oct 17-19
Site-Specific Dance and the MSU Museum: Interdisciplinarity and Collaboration
Presentation at MSU Teaching and Learning Spring Conference 2017
East Lansing, MI. May 10-11
Strategy 3.0: What is Digital Strategy Now?
Professional Forum at Museums and the Web 2017
Cleveland, OH. April 19-22
Digital Careers at a Crossroads: Next Steps and New Paths
Presentation at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2016
New Orleans, LA. Nov. 1-4
Working with Digital Humanities Students in Museums: Why We Should, How We Can
Presentation at MCN (Museum Computer Network) 2016
New Orleans, LA. Nov. 1-4
Diffusing Science: Designing Communication Processes to Disseminate Scientific Concepts
Presentation, 4th Annual Art of Management in Organizations Conference, 2008. Banff, Alberta, Canada. September 9-12
Posters:
Digital Badging: A Revolution in Online Teacher Professional Development
Poster Presentation at AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) 2013 Kansas City, MO. Sep 7-12
Invited Presentations:
MSU AR/VR Symposium (2018) XR at the MSU Museum
Phoenix Art Museum, Nerd Nite Phoenix, (2015). From Elements to Emerge: The Journey from Science Theatre Producers to Art/Science Matchmakers
Phoenix Art Museum, Thinking in Pictures teacher professional development event, Phoenix, AZ. (2015) Teaching with Leonardo
Cornell Cooperative Extension Agricultural Inservice, Ithaca, NY. (2010) Communication and
Outreach Session. Novel Approaches Using Theatre and Art: EcoTales as a Case Study
Materials Research Society Fall Conference, Boston, MA. (2009) Educational Outreach Panel. Dance of Scales
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