Meet the Curatorial Team

Many people think of the Manitoba Museum as a fantastic place to spend the day with family and friends, but behind the scenes are a talented team of curators, who are consistently adding to what we know about our long-term history, geology, ecology, and environment. The ground-breaking research conducted at the Manitoba Museum has won a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, extended the fossil records of animal groups by millions of years, explored the achievements of Indigenous Peoples and cultural communities in Manitoba, and uncovered new species. Due to this success, our curators are highly respected by other institutions as experts in their fields.

Dr. Amelia Fay

Dr. Amelia Fay

Director of Research, Collections, & Exhibitions

Amelia Fay is the Director of Research, Collections, & Exhibitions, having served as Curator of the HBC Museum Collection (2013-2022) and then Curator of both Anthropology and the HBC Museum Collection (2022-2025)…
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Phone: (204) 988-0563

Curatorial

Dr. Diana Bizecki Robson

Dr. Diana Bizecki Robson

Curator of Botany

Dr. Bizecki Robson obtained a Master’s Degree in Plant Ecology at the University of Saskatchewan studying rare plants of the mixed grass prairies. After working as an environmental consultant and sessional lecturer…
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Phone: (204) 988-0653

Morgan Brightnose

Morgan Brightnose

Curator of Indigenous Collections

Morgan Brightnose is Ininiwak (Cree) and Metis from Thompson, Manitoba and is a member of the Tataskewyak Cree Nation. He is currently a PhD Candidate at the University of Manitoba in History, his research centres …
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Phone: (204) 988-0569

Dr. Joe Moysiuk

Dr. Joe Moysiuk

Curator of Palaeontology & Geology

Joe Moysiuk recently completed his doctoral dissertation at the University of Toronto and Royal Ontario Museum. His expertise centers on the oldest animal fossils and insights they provide about the evolution…
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Phone: (204) 988-0648

Dr. Randall Mooi

Dr. Randall Mooi

Curator of Zoology

Dr. Mooi received his Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Toronto working on the evolutionary history of coral reef fishes. Following a postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Fishes of the Smithsonian Institution…
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Phone: (204) 988-0659

Dr. Roland Sawatzky

Dr. Roland Sawatzky

Curator of History

Roland Sawatzky joined The Manitoba Museum in 2011. He received his B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Winnipeg, M.A. in Anthropology from the University of South Carolina, and Ph.D. in Archaeology…
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Phone: (204) 988-0634

Conservation

Carolyn Sirett

Carolyn Sirett

Senior Conservator

Carolyn Sirett received her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Manitoba, Diploma in Cultural Resource Management from the University of Victoria, and Diploma in Collections Conservation and Management…
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Phone: (204) 988-0567

Collections

Nancy Anderson

Nancy Anderson

Collections Management Specialist – Human History

Nancy Anderson holds a B.A. (Hons) in History from the University of Winnipeg, and received her M.A. in Canadian Social History jointly from the University of Winnipeg and University of Manitoba. She has over 30 years experience…
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Phone: (204) 988-0607

Dr. Brigit Tronrud

Dr. Brigit Tronrud

Collections Management Specialist – Natural History

Dr. Brigit Tronrud earned her D.Phil in Earth Sciences from the University of Oxford (2022) specializing in paleontology and zoology, following her B.Sc. from the University of Chicago (2017). Her doctoral research focussed…
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Phone: (204) 988-0620

Cortney Pachet

Cortney Pachet

Collections Technician – Human History

Cortney Pachet started working at the Manitoba Museum in 2001 as a tour guide while earning her a BA (Honours) from the University of Winnipeg. She quickly realized that she wanted a career in museums…
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Phone: (204) 988-0646

Aro van Dyck

Aro van Dyck

Collections Technician – Natural History

Aro van Dyck earned her B.Sc. from the University of Manitoba, majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Entomology. She has also researched the diversity of wasps and bees Winnipeg’s greenspaces…
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Phone: (204) 988-0654

Sonya Hauri-Thiessen

Sonya Hauri-Thiessen

Collections Technician – Archaeology

Sonya Hauri-Thiessen began working in the museum world in 1999 at the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach, Manitoba. She graduated with a BA in Anthropology from the University of Manitoba in 2003…
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Phone: (204) 988-0681