Dr Kristin Alford is the director of the University of South Australia’s futuristic, science-based Museum of Discovery (MOD) in Adelaide. With expertise in engineering, strategic marketing, and even metallurgy, she offers a diverse background to her position. Prior to her current role, she worked with BHP Billiton and Nanotechnology Victoria, among other companies.
As a futurist, Dr. Alford is committed to promoting “futures literacy,” empowering communities—particularly youth—to envision and prepare for various future events. By combining science and art, MOD. produces displays that present both Western and Aboriginal viewpoints. Alford’s work frequently examines how stories about the past and future, like those emphasised during the COVID-19 pandemic, might aid in navigating present uncertainties.
Using the museum’s high-trust reputation to promote discussion on complex subjects like machine learning and climate change, Dr Kristin Alford hopes to pique people’s interest and give them the power to influence the future through MOD. Her dedication to social impact and innovation is demonstrated by her efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in STEM professions.
Under her leadership, MOD. has produced eight gallery exhibitions, four online exhibitions and associated pop-ups and programming that uniquely showcase, host and generate research specifically to sense and anticipate what is being created for and needed by the future. For the FLEX exhibition in 2023, this included inviting visitors to electrocute themselves so that it hurt – a little – and then to run experiments on how interventions like colour, distraction and placebos might affect perceptions of pain.
The 2024 exhibition BROKEN draws on research relating to economics, climate, housing and democracy to prompt visitors to imagine alternative systems and possible futures. MOD. has been recognised for its exhibition excellence with more than 25 awards.
Dr Alford’s book, Cultivating Futures Thinking in Museums, features case studies from nineteen different museums producing exhibitions and experiences related to the future and futures thinking.