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Biography:
Richard Toon is a research professor at the School for Human Evolution and Social Change (SHESC) where he directs the museum studies program, co-directs the Center for Archaeology and Society, and directs the Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve and the Innovation Gallery. Before coming to SHESC, he was associate director of research at Morrison Institute for Public Policy. Before joining the Morrison Institute, Toon was the education and research director at the Arizona Science Center, responsible for educational programming and services at the museum. Prior to that he was the center’s research scientist, where he developed research on visitor behavior and attitudes, exhibit development, and informal learning. He also consulted to museums and research projects in Canada and the United Kingdom.
Prior to moving to Arizona, he was the principal of a consulting firm to public and social agencies, primarily in New York City, in the areas of child health, juvenile justice, drug treatment programs, community-based family services, and child poverty. Toon also worked as a researcher for the New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services and was director of operations analysis and management reporting for New York City Department of Juvenile Justice.
Education:
- Ph.D. Museum Studies, University of Leicester, U.K.
- M.A. Religious Studies, University of Leeds, U.K.
- B.A. Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Leeds, U.K.
Research Interests:
As co-director of the Center for Archaeology and Society my research focuses on using museum exhibitions to link past and present by engaging ancient cultures and contemporary issues, most especially in the areas of cultural identity, indigenous peoples, immigration, the challenges of life in arid climates, and social and economic systems. In addition to exhibits, I maintain active research agendas in devising methods for visitor studies evaluation and providing theoretically informed “readings” of cultural heritage museum practices (such as collecting) and the narratives underlying museum exhibitions.
Publications:
- Eiko and Koma. Desert Sightings. (2014).
- Staff of Deer Valley Rock Art Center. Native Now. (2014).
- Richard Toon & Ashlan H. Falletta-Cowden. Arizona SciTech Festival 2012 Evaluation Summary. (2012).
- Toon, R & Stone, L. Seeing through Walls: Road Trips Through Art and Memory of Industrial Landscapes. Inta/AR Journal (Interventions and Adaptive Reuse) (2011).
- Toon, R. Relearning Learning in Museums. MAA Newsletter (2011).
- Toon, R. To Keep Them Coming: Audience Development in an Age of Competing Attractions and Changing Community. 98th Arizona Town Hall: Arts and Culture (2011).
Research Activity:
- Toon,Richard*. Museum Networks: The Distribution of the US National Museum's Anthropological Collections. WENNER-GREN FDN(1/1/2012 - 5/31/2013).
| Fall 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| Spring 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| Fall 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 580 | Practicum |
| ASB 584 | Internship |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| Spring 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 574 | Exhibit Design and Development |
| ASB 580 | Practicum |
| ASB 584 | Internship |
| MAS 585 | Capstone Course |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| Fall 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 500 | Research Methods |
| HST 573 | Museum Administration |
| ASB 573 | Museum Administration |
| ASB 579 | Critical Issues/Museum Studies |
| ASB 580 | Practicum |
| ASB 584 | Internship |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| Summer 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| Spring 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 574 | Exhibit Design and Development |
| ASB 580 | Practicum |
| ASB 584 | Internship |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 591 | Seminar |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| Fall 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 579 | Critical Issues/Museum Studies |
| ASB 580 | Practicum |
| ASB 584 | Internship |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 591 | Seminar |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| Summer 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ESS 514 | Urban and Environmental Health |
| ASB 584 | Internship |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| Spring 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 574 | Exhibit Design and Development |
| ASB 580 | Practicum |
| ASB 584 | Internship |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| Fall 2016 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 191 | First-Year Seminar |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 580 | Practicum |
| ASB 584 | Internship |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 591 | Seminar |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
Presentations:
- Exhibit team at SHESC. Teotichaucan + ASU: Archaeology in Action. Exhibition at Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve (Jul 2104).
- Exhibit team at SHESC. City Life: Experiencing the World of Teotihuacan. Exhibit at Anthropology Museum/Innovation Gallery 2013-14 (May 2014).
- Richard Toon. A Critical Eye on Museum Studies. Western Museums Association annual conference, Salt Lake City, UT (May 2014).
- Michelaki, K. and Richart Toon. "Until they grow legs and start running around ..." exploring resistance to material agency in archaeology and museum studies. Faculty Seminar Series, Institute for Humanities Research (Jan 2014).
- Richard Toon. ‘Powerful Voices of Place’: Leveraging the Power of Place to Offset Limited Development Resources. Western Museums Association annual conference, Salt Lake City, UT (Oct 2013).
- SHESC. City Life: Experiencing the World of Teotihuacan. Fall exhibit at Anthropology Museum (Oct 2013).
- SHESC Exhibits Design Team. Looking for the Future in the Past: Archaeology's Long-Term View. Spring exhibit at Anthropology Museum and Fall at Deer Valley Rock Art Center (Oct 2013).
- SHESC Exhibit Design Team. Digging Arizona. Spring exhibit Museum of Anthropology, SHESC (Sep 2012).
- Richard Toon. A Basic Guide to Exhibition Evaluation and Visitor Studies. Museum Association of Arizona Annual Conference 2012 (May 2012).
- SHESC Exhibit Design Team. Choosing the Good. Spring exhibit Museum of Anthropology, SHESC (May 2012).
- SHESC Exhibit Design Team. Choosing the Good. Spring exhibition at Museum of Anthropology (May 2012).
- SHESC Exhibit Design Team. Becoming Human: 30 Years of Research and Discovery. Fall exhibit at Museum of Anthropology (Sep 2011).
- Knox, G., Toon. R., Van Der Leeuw, S., Alwash, A., and Al Ani, J. Art’s Role in Resilience Science and other Innovations in Thinking. 54th Venice Biennial International Art Exhibition (Jun 2011).
- Gregory Sale. It's Not Just Black and White. Social Studies studio and exhibition at ASU Art Museum (May 2011).
- SHESC Exhibit Design Team. Choosing the Future With Water. Spring exhibition at Museum of Anthropology (May 2011).
- Richard Toon, Gordon Knox, Adriene Jenik. Thinking about rethinking the museum. Rethinking the museum series at the ASU Art Museum (Feb 2011).
- Richard Toon, Gordon Knox, Gregory Sale. Thinking about rethinking the museum. Rethinking the museum series at the ASU Art Museum (Feb 2011).
- Richard Toon. Creating learning environments in the 21st century museum. Central Arizona Museum Association special event (Feb 2011).
- Toon, R. Challenges to Creating Learning Environments in the 21st Century Museum. Central Arizona Museum Association meeting (Feb 2011).
- Richard Toon. Museums and popular culture. Public History Program brown-bag lunch (Nov 2010).
- Richard Toon. Becoming the kind of arts organization your participants deserve. South West Arts Conference, Chandler, Arizona (Jul 2010).
Service:
- Museum Association of Arizona, Conference Committee, Consultant (2014 - Present)
- SHESC Center for Archaeology and Society, Co-director (2014 - Present)
- Museum Association of Arizona, Conference Committee, Consultant (2013 - Present)
- Museum Association of Arizona, Conference Committee, Consultant (2012 - Present)
- Museums Committee, Co-chair (2012 - Present)
- SHESC Graduate Committee, Committee member (2012 - Present)
- Museum Association of Arizona, Consultant (2011 - Present)
- Museum Association of Arizona, Consultant (2010 - Present)
- Purple Ribbon Council, Advisory Committee (2010 - Present)
- SHESC Graduate Committee, Committee member (2010 - Present)
- SHESC Graduate Committee, Committee member (2010 - Present)
- Visitor Studies Association, Panel convener (2010 - Present)
- SHESC Southwest Archaeology Faculty hiring committee, Committee member (2014 - 2015)
- Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture, Economic Impact Subcommittee, Committee member (2012 - 2012)