MAERYTA MEDRANO, AIA, LEED® AP
Owner, Founder & President
Maeryta is one of the country’s most imaginative and creative exhibit designers. A licensed architect, she specializes in holistic design solutions that integrate exhibits with the building and site. She has a deep understanding of the impact of design on learning and is leader in designing learning environments for families. Before founding Gyroscope, Maeryta was a designer at Boston’s Museum of Science.
CHUCK HOWARTH
Owner, Senior Vice President
Chuck Howarth is a former museum president with over 30 years of experience in exhibition research, development, and management. Chuck started his career as an educator and exhibit developer at the Museum of Science in Boston, MA, later serving as Associate Director for Education and Exhibits. He was then recruited to serve as founding president of Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. He took that organization from earliest vision through opening. He joined Gyroscope in 1993 and since that time has been lead planner and principal in charge for dozens of projects on a wide range of topics.
TASHA LEVERETTE
Owner, Chief Action Officer
Tasha Leverette is an owner and Chief Action Officer, joining the studio in 2010. She is a leader who is committed to asking and resolving the hard questions that move both the firm and field forward. Tasha’s forward thinking, creative problem-solving and management compliment her skills as a designer. This approach results in innovative and diverse projects, such as MOXI in Santa Barbara, CA; Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena, CA; and the Louisiana Children's Museum. Tasha’s education in architecture was focused on cultural institutions, with a Masters’ thesis looking at design opportunities in the age of information.
TIM PHILLIPS
Owner, Principal
Tim Phillips is an owner and principal, joining the studio in 2009. He works with a design philosophy based on interdisciplinary learning and active research developed through collaboration on numerous public and community projects. Trained as an architect in the UK, he is also a sound artist, musician and inventor. Tim brings a hands-on style and a passion for building and testing things to all his museum design projects along with a unique ability to synthesize complex requirements with high design aspirations. He has served as Senior Designer for many of Gyroscope’s major projects including the Museum of Exploration & Innovation (MOXI) in Santa Barbara, the Louisiana Children’s Museum in New Orleans, the Thinkery in Austin, and the Museum of Art & History in Santa Cruz.
RON DAVIS, LEED® AP
Principal
Ron Davis has been a designer at Gyroscope since 2001. He has served as Lead Designer on Skyline at the Chicago Children’s Museum, Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, St. Louis Science Center Outdoor Agricultural Exhibition, Bishop Museum Science Adventure Center in Honolulu, and many others. Prior to joining Gyroscope, Ron was associate artistic director for Antenna Theater, an experimental theater company. His production, Etiquette of the Undercaste, was installed at the Smithsonian Institution. Ron’s work has appeared in Time Magazine, Communications Arts, ID Magazine, and MacWorld.
STEVE TORNALLYAY
Director of Creative Growth Strategies
Steve Tornallyay has over twenty years of experience as a project manager and exhibition designer. He joined Gyroscope in 2012 after six years as director of exhibits and facilities at the Children’s Discovery Museum (CDM) of San Jose. His duties at San Jose included leading the strategic planning team to develop a new vision for the future, developing and installing all new exhibits, managing the staff responsible for the physical plant, and running the exhibits department.
ARIELLA GRANETT, AIA, LEED AP BD + C
Architect of Learning Environments
Ariella is a licensed architect, energized by the collaborative design process and fulfilled in seeing creative inspiration materialize and come alive with use. She has worked on diverse project types and scales ranging from learning environments for children’s museums, to library and public school renovations, to LEED certified public housing. She has shepherded projects through permit review and approval, supported bid negotiations, and performed construction administration. At Gyroscope she led the architectural design on the Woodland Library Makerspace Renovation, contributed to exhibits for the Louisiana Children’s Museum, MOXI – The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, and the new site master plan for MOSH.
LOUISE MACKIE
Senior Designer
Louise Mackie is a Senior Designer and project manager at Gyroscope. She specializes in creative placemaking formed by community engagement and inspirational education spaces. Working with a background in architecture, her projects range in scale from a mobile library for Oakland Public Library to a 15,000 SF 'Laboratorio de ideas' of art interventions and participatory platforms recently opened in Mexico City. Louise is the co-founder of Gyroscope's Non-profit makerspace in Jack London Square, STEAM Factory.
BRIE BURNHAM
Graphic Designer
Brie Burnham is a graphic designer, project assistant, and education coordinator at Gyroscope. She has a passion for science and literature, and is particularly interested in infographics and the ways design and art can be used as a tool to educate. Some of her recent Gyroscope projects are the Thinkery, Hawai'i Wildlife Center, MOXI The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, the St. Louis Science Center, and the Sacramento History Museum.
ROBERT LOW, PhD
Exhibit Developer
Robert Low is a researcher and educator who is passionate about bridging the gap between science, community, and the arts. He has over 10 years of experience as a teacher, tutor, and program facilitator. His work uses storytelling, games, and creative collaboration to turn abstract and complex concepts into intuitive and inviting experiences. His recent work with Gyroscope includes exhibit development for London Children's Museum and San Mateo County Library.
