Dr Ethel Villafranca is an Academic Engagement Fellow/Manager at the Science Gallery Melbourne - University of Melbourne. She has been involved in various aspects of museum/cultural work in the Philippines, the USA, and Australia since 1998. She has a PhD (University of Melbourne), MA in Museology (University of Florida), and BA in Philippine Arts (UP-Manila) and has been awarded prestigious international scholarships such as the Fulbright Scholarship, Asian Cultural Council Fellowship, and Melbourne International Research Scholarship. 

Ethel has training, experience, and strong interest in facilitating deep learning in both formal (schools) and informal learning environments. Her PhD research, Curated learning, identified strategies of museums for supporting student’s deep learning that school teachers can apply in their classroom practice. She is the principal author of Making Museums Work: A Zero In Handbook, the first comprehensive and practical handbook on establishing and managing museums in the Philippines.