The landscape of interactive science centres across Britain and Europe has lost one of its most influential architects with the death of Melanie Quin, aged 66. A project director renowned for her sharp intellect and considerable charm, Quin's work was instrumental in connecting and developing the hands-on science sector, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire.
The Architect of Science Networks
Melanie Quin's pivotal role began in the mid-1980s when she was appointed director of the Nuffield Foundation's interactive science project. This initiative served as a crucial resource and information exchange for the burgeoning hands-on science centre movement in the UK. She dedicated herself to connecting, advising, and encouraging everyone involved, acting as a vital bridge between established centres and new startups like Stratosphere in Aberdeen and the Bristol Exploratory.
Her influence extended beyond the UK, forging important links with more established science centres in the United States and elsewhere. It was a role for which she seemed perfectly suited, clearly having found her professional calling.
A Life of Science and Communication
Born in London to Vera, a dyslexia assessor and author of Serbian origin, and Cormac Quin, a personnel officer for ICI, Melanie was raised in a cosmopolitan atmosphere alongside her younger brother, Thomas. Her education took her to the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington and then to St Paul's Girls School.
Her academic prowess led her to Imperial College, where she earned a BSc in botany in 1979, followed by an MSc and finally a PhD researching pollen distribution in 1984. Her expertise even saw her appearing on Thames TV weather bulletins to present pollen counts to the public.
After university, she honed her communication skills as a science editor for Hobsons Publishing before joining the Nuffield Foundation's interactive science project, where her career truly blossomed.
European Influence and Lasting Legacy
Melanie's unique combination of charm, tact, and intelligence made her widely respected and well-liked throughout the sector. This reputation led to her appointment in 1991 as the director of Ecsite, a new European science centre network based at the Heureka science centre in Vantaa, Finland.
Her European adventure continued when she joined the team developing Amsterdam's Nemo science centre the following year, where she remained until 1995. Returning to the UK, she took over the communicating science MSc programme at Techniquest in Cardiff, transforming it into one of the country's leading courses for science communicators.
The pull of networking remained strong, however, and when a UK branch of Ecsite formed in 2001, Melanie returned to London to become its head. As science centres became more established, her sense of adventure prompted a career change in 2006, when she left the field to teach English as a foreign language, first in Istanbul and later in Lyon.
It was in Lyon that she reconnected with an old university friend, Andy Wood. They married in 2013 and subsequently moved to Sydney when work took him there. Melanie continued teaching until she received a diagnosis of terminal liver disease last year.
Beyond her professional life, Melanie Quin was a talented artist who continued to draw throughout her busy career. She loved cookery, enjoyed opera, and maintained a lively social life. She is survived by her husband, Andy, and her brother, Thomas.
