Episode 4: Gustavo Lopez and Margarete Villalobos

Open Admission

https://openadmissionpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/margarete-and-gustavo-final.mp3

GUSTAVO LOPEZ has been a part of the education staff at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County for the last 10 years. He began as a Gallery Interpreter, then moved on to be a manager of the interpretation team by becoming a Lead Gallery Interpreter. As a Lead, he was also active in training both volunteers and docents on a daily basis on the interpretation skills that help create an educational experience for the museum’s guests. In working with the Gallery Interpreter team, Gustavo helped to assess the Interpreters on both formal and informal programing, worked closely with School Programs, Guest Relations, and helped to train the Interpretation team. Gustavo really enjoyed working with all the staff at NHM and interacting with the guest of all ages and backgrounds, and always saw the museum as a hub for all people of the world. Today, he is part of the Spiritual Care Center at the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital. He is very excited to continue using his skills to help connect with people.

MARGARETE VILLALOBOS is the School Programs Coordinator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Over the course of the last 6 ½ years, she has worked in a variety of positions within the Guest Relations and Education departments. With the School Programs team, she serves pre-kindergarten through 12^th grade students visiting the Museum during the school year – always striving to ensure an enriching experience for students and teachers. Margarete facilitates guided programming for school groups, coordinates special programs (i.e. the ever-popular Homeschool Days), and leads professional development opportunities for educators. On any given day, what’s her favorite part of the job? Greeting students as they come through the Museum Entrance. While at the NHM for the majority of her museum career, Margarete knew she wanted to pursue a career path in museums during a work-study position as a museum educator at the Fowler Museum at U.C.L.A. To continue growing as a museum professional, she is currently finishing up her Master’s degree in Museum Studies through Johns Hopkins online program. On her free time, she visits museums in Los Angeles, brunches on Sundays, and obsessively keeping tabs on the Griffith Park mountain lion, P-22.