Claudia Ocello has 20
years’ experience in museums working on, exhibitions, education programs, and evaluation projects. Her museum career began at the Newark Museum teaching education programs,
and after receiving her Masters in Museum Education from Bank Street
College, NYC, she worked at the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Barnum Museum, and The New Jersey Historical
Society.
During her 10 year tenure
at the Historical Society, Claudia gained experience leading a team of educators to develop and teach award-winning education
programs and work on award-winning exhibitions first as Curator of Education, and then as Director of Programs and Exhibitions.
In 2002, the Education
Committee of the American Association of Museums awarded the Historical Society the award for Excellence in Programming for
Partners in Learning: Teen Parents and their Children at Museums, a program which
she helped create.
Joining the staff of
Save Ellis Island (a non-profit partner with the National Park Service) in 2006 enabled Claudia to focus on developing
new education programs for school groups and teachers, as well as train docents, advise on accessibility issues, and continue
to advise on exhibitions and plans for visitor access to restored and un-restored spaces in the former hospital buildings
on Ellis Island.
In 2008, Claudia received the Award for Excellence in Practice from the Education Committee of the American Association
of Museums, the highest recognition by her peers.
Claudia co-teaches Introduction
to Museum Education and Writing for Museums courses in the Masters in Museum Professions Program at Seton Hall University,
where she has been an adjunct faculty member for 11 years. She has also served
on many committees for education and schools throughout the state of New Jersey.
Claudia has published
articles in Museum and is currently authoring a chapter in the revised edition
of Building Museum School Partnerships (American Association of Museums, 2010)
as well as a chapter about audiences in a forthcoming book about museum ethics sponsored by the Institute
of Museum Ethics at Seton
Hall University. She is a member of American Association of Museums, American Association for State and Local History, and
is actively involved in mentoring young professionals in the museum field.
