Senior Director of Education & Visitor Engagement
Kathryn Venzor (she/ella) serves as the CSU Spur Senior Director of Education & Visitor Engagement, creating and implementing formal and informal educational programs inspiring youth and the larger community to tackle problems around food, water, and health at the new Spur campus. For the past 20 years, Kathryn has been working in program development for K-12 and early childhood students and educators, environmental conservation, and community engagement.
Kathryn began her professional career developing educational programs and curriculum and interpretive resources and exhibits in museums and cultural facilities in New York and Philadelphia. Originally from the Southwest, Kathryn moved back to New Mexico where she worked as the Curator of Education at the City of Albuquerque’s four BioPark sites (Zoo, Aquarium, Botanic Garden, and recreational area Tingley Beach), engaging K-12 audiences and local and statewide communities in conservation science. Kathryn also served on the Board of Directors for Environmental Education of New Mexico and worked with community partners in the STEM fields on multiple projects to engage students from all backgrounds in the sciences and art. Currently, Kathryn serves on the Board of Directors for both the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education and the Colorado Association of Science Teachers.
After moving to Colorado, Kathryn served as the Director of School Programs & Interpretation at Butterfly Pavilion, working to raise awareness for the importance of biodiversity and promote action toward protecting lands and habitats. Most recently, Kathryn was the Guest Engagement Programs Manager at Denver Zoo, developing exhibits and programs connecting the community to wildlife and the zoo’s conservation and research efforts.
Kathryn holds a Masters in Anthropology and Museum Studies from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. She grew up exploring the desert mountains in El Paso, Texas, and that love of nature and exploration continues in Colorado. She enjoys taking in the beauty of colorful Colorado while hiking (or snowshoeing) with her spouse, Jeff.
