Nichelle O'Saurus | Director of Education and Engagement

Nichelle O’Saurus joined the Peoria Riverfront Museum team in June, 2024. She serves as the museum’s Director of Education and Engagement, leading the team of educators who provide in-gallery engagement, large-scale programs and events, workshops, lectures, tours, and countless other educational opportunities for museum visitors. She oversees the Every Student Initiative that welcomes over 18,000 students to the museum each year for field trips, and she is responsible for volunteers at the museum.

Before joining the Peoria community, Nichelle lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she worked for 8 years at the Natural History Museum of Utah in education and community engagement. She has been a Diversity and Leadership Development Fellow with the Association of Science and Technology Centers, has a certificate in volunteer management from Utah’s Commission of Service and Volunteerism, and has extensive training in community partnerships and inclusive program design.

Nichelle holds a BA (Anthropology) from the University of South Florida, and an MA (Evolutionary Anthropology) from Duke University. Prior to her work in museums, Nichelle was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, studying and publishing on early hominin fossils and locomotor biomechanics. She has always been an educator -- she taught many courses at the high school and college levels, including human anatomy, primate biology, forensic anthropology, and human origins. Nichelle even taught English as a second language to elementary-aged students in South Korea.

When not at the museum, Nichelle likes to spend time with her husband, Brian, daughter, Jemison, and their dogs, Cosmo and Rocket. She loves jigsaw puzzles, baking, holidays, game nights, and soaking in the natural world around her. She is an avid traveler, and loves learning about and exploring new places and cultures.

Contact information:

Work: (309) 863-3028

no'saurus@peoriariverfrontmuseum.org