Kirsten Livingston

Develop and present reports on scientific material across various industries and sectors to inform exhibit content development and provide strategic content direction. Cultivate and grow strategic partnerships with corporate, NPO, and FFRDCs to support the development of exhibits.

• Primary exhibits: the updated Coal Mine Experience, the new Energy Exhibit, and the Blue Paradox.
• Evaluate existing exhibits and delivered content updates to maintain topic and message integrity and relevancy.
• Develop customer research studies to provide the exhibits team with field-based data to improve exhibit experiences.
• Advised leadership on strategies for utilizing research findings in practical applications and product development.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to align research projects with broader organizational goals, ensuring research relevance and applicability.
• Adapted research methodologies to address emerging challenges and opportunities, demonstrating flexibility and innovation in problem-solving.
• Engaged with industry partners to translate research findings into practical applications, bridging gap between academia and real world.
• Analyzed complex data sets to uncover patterns and insights, driving development of exhibit content material.
• Worked as member of integrated project team in highly collaborative work environment.

• Fostered collaboration among board members, promoting open communication and shared decision-making.
• Collaborated with other board members to develop and execute programs and initiatives to advance organizational mission.
• Served as advocate and ambassador for organization by fully engaging, identifying, and securing resources and partnerships to advance mission.
• Provided guidance and leadership on strategic planning initiatives and organizational development.
• Developed relationships with corporations to secure donations towards the Centennial Commitment.

• Provided research reports to leadership on various topics such as high-level briefs on companies for possible partnerships, and scientific literature summaries.
• Developed a standard method for engaging guests during exhibit prototyping. Supported the AVP in partnership development meetings, summarizing key information.
• Assisted in developing strategic plan that aligned with long-term company goals.
• Gathered, organized and input information into digital database.
• Collected, arranged, and input information into database system.
• Generated reports detailing findings and recommendations.

Created a controlled lab experiment to examine the relationship between Coral calcification and temperature change. Collected and analyzed Alkalinity, pH, and Salinity levels. Constructed a statistical model to identify how different rates of temperature change affect coral calcification.

• Gathered and organized information for research purposes.
• Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to conduct comprehensive studies and generate valuable insights.
• Synthesized large volumes of information, identifying key trends and patterns relevant to research objectives.
• Designed experiment with rigorous controls to maximize validity of findings.

Co-created the Government Relations Department to develop strong relationships between government officials’ wards and the aquarium.

• Arranged meetings between key Shedd employees and the Illinois Governor and Chicago Mayor.
• Attended various Chicago committees’ events and networked on behalf of aquarium.
• Managed a solo project that developed the foundation for Shedd's first environmental conference.
• Gathered and analyzed data to develop a database that matched Alderman profiles with aquarium projects.
• Arranged meetings with Alderman; prepared and presented material with team.

Assisted and developed on multiple projects under the Urban Wildlife Institute.

• Projects included wildlife endangered species monitoring and behavioral analysis.
• Created and managed a species monitoring and behavioral testing project which became one in a handful of ongoing intern projects.
• Presented projects at the summer intern conference.
• Supported staff members in their daily tasks, reducing workload burden and allowing for increased focus on higher-priority assignments.

Assisted team on multiple projects that improved the conservation practices used on the reserve.

• Primary assignments included species impact and population monitoring, reservation management, volunteer leadership, and conservation research programs.
• Participated and supported the organization's outreach project with nearby childcare facilities.