Meet Emma Lorenz, the Museum’s Playground and Rentals Manager & Guest Services Representative! Whether she’s setting up birthday parties, keeping the playground in top shape, or making sure the front desk team (and security) have their much-needed morning coffee, Emma plays a key role in making the Museum a welcoming place for all.
With a background in studio art and psychology, she brings a creative touch to everything she doe! Her journey to the Museum? It all started with an opossum … Read more about Emma’s role and her favorite Museum moments in our latest Staff Spotlight!
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR MDWFP’S MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE?
I've been working at the MMNS for 10 Months!.
WHAT’S YOUR WORKDAY LIKE?
Typically, I'm inside answering the phones and helping folks at the gift shop, but the other half of my job is helping to set up and schedule birthday party rentals in The Den, as well as rentals for the whole LeFleur’s Bluff Complex! I'm also in charge of making coffee in the morning for the front desk staff and our security guards - they would argue that's the most important part of my job haha!
ANY FUNNY WORK STORIES?
From calls about crawfish invasions in the yard, to people asking if their goldfish can get the bird flu, we get lots of interesting calls at the front desk. People have some unique ideas about what kinds of animals they can keep as pets, and I have to figure out who to send the calls to.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION
I'm originally from Dallas, Texas and moved up to Mississippi for college. I graduated from Millsaps in May of 2024 with a Studio Art degree, and a minor in Psychology.
Prior to working at the museum, I was a teaching fellow at the Mississippi Museum of Art and still help out there part time as a Teaching Studio Artist. I love to create using all kinds of materials, especially thrifted and second hand objects, which helps keep those things from going to landfills and polluting the planet.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?
I chose to work at the museum because I heard they had an opossum on staff as one of the educational ambassadors, and was desperate to meet her. The real answer is that after working as a teaching fellow for the Art Museum, I wanted to continue working professionally within the museum space, and push myself out of my comfort zone, I'm not a naturally outdoorsy person, but I've come to love it!
HOW DOES YOUR JOB CONTRIBUTE TO CONSERVATION?
Part of my job is cleaning and upkeeping the playground and outside areas for the public to use and enjoy.
By helping to host events at our museum, I hope folks get to spend some time in the natural world and find joy in protecting and learning more about it.
ANY ADVICE FOR A STUDENT INTERESTED IN A BIOLOGY OR MUSEUM CAREER?
If you're looking into a career at a museum, my advice is to get to know some of the folks who work there!
Through my time at Millsaps, I met lots of people who helped connect me to other museum professionals, and have been so invaluable in guiding me as I grow as a museum professional.
Jackson is big, but more connected than you think. Reach out, volunteer where you can, and you'll be amazed with what could happen!