de Saisset Museum

Lauren Baines

Lauren joined the Museum Enhancement Board in 2011. As an alum of SCU ('08 & '09) and former de Saisset student employee, Lauren has a deep appreciation for and interest in the Jesuit ideal of educating the whole person and believes the de Saisset's presence and mission play an essential role in the South Bay. A performing artist who works in arts management and arts education, Lauren strives to find new ways to integrate the arts and engage the community in their development and preservation. Beyond dancing and choreographing professionally, Lauren works at Montalvo Arts Center as the Project Manager for Education and Artistic Programs and serves as Assistant Artistic Director for the Cardboard Box Theatre Project. She loves to attend performances and exhibitions, to travel, and to explore the world around her—she is a perpetual student who enjoys discovering new things (artists, information, concepts, and possibilities). Her favorite aspect of being involved with the Board is the opportunity to broaden the museum's range of programming to help build a younger audience who are active and invested in the museum.

Neil Dau

Neil joined the Museum Enhancement Board in 2008. He welcomed the opportunity to help figure out ways to enhance a thoughtful museum. An architect in Fresno, CA, he also enjoys spending time reading non-fiction adventure novels. His favorite part of being involved with the de Saisset is seeing how the de Saisset and Santa Clara University complement one another.

Laura Deem

Laura joined the Museum Enhancement Board in 2012. She is a professional artist who works in encaustic and monotype printing. A Bay Area native, she enjoys traveling and her favorite places to visit are Istanbul, Cape Town, and Edinburgh. Laura us a voracious reader and her favorite artist is Helen Frankenthaler. She is interested in helping the museum expand its appeal to broader audiences outside the University into other areas of the community.

Paula Kirkeby

An active supporter of the de Saisset Museum for over 30 years, Paula Kirkeby has served on the Museum Enhancement Board since its inception in 2006. She is the owner and Director of Smith Andersen Editions, a fine arts press based in Palo Alto, CA. Paula's great enthusiasm for Santa Clara University and love for the arts led her to become involved with the de Saisset Museum. Having grown up in Boston surrounded by a large family and an artistic and musical atmosphere, Paula became interested in the arts at a very young age. She started collecting artwork at age 13 and hasn't stopped since! Her favorite aspect of being involved with the Board is the commitment of people who work together to make the de Saisset Museum a destination for people in the Bay Area.

Carol MacCorkle, Board Membership Chair

Carol joined the Museum Enhancement Board in 2009 with an interest in the Jesuit Mission and the strong belief that art and culture are an important part of this mission. Finding the de Saisset Museum to be a jewel in the heart of the Santa Clara University campus, Carol believes that the Museum should be a more active and integral part of SCU's social and academic life. She is a residential real estate broker and an avid supporter of educational and cultural endeavors. She loves to travel especially to her favorite destinations: China and the Middle East. Carol also enjoys collecting art, focusing on works on paper and some Chinese artworks. Her favorite aspect of being a board member is being involved with Santa Clara University and promoting the de Saisset Museum.

Gerald McKevitt, S.J.

Fr. McKevitt joined the Museum Enhancement Board in 2010 and has taught in the History Department of Santa Clara University since 1975. Some of his course topics have included California History, Native Americans of the United States, Jesuit History and Spirituality, and Historical Research and Writing, among others. He has authored numerous scholarly publications and has been the recipient of grants from the National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Andrew Mellon Foundation, among others. He holds a Ph.D from University of California in Los Angeles and a B.S.T. from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. His favorite artist is John Singer Sargent and he loves to visit Venice, Italy. He believes that the de Saisset is one of the hidden treasures of this campus and he is eager to make it better known.

Matthew Prentice, Museum Membership Chair

An alumnus of SCU's MBA program, Matthew ('91) joined the Museum Enhancement Board in 2010 in the hopes of giving back to the University through service to the Museum. Matthew is a Financial Advisor in the Global Wealth Management division of Merrill Lynch. During his free time, he enjoys reading anything related to finance, dining at his favorite restaurant—Bouchon, traveling to his favorite destinations—Italy and Mexico, and above all, playing with his three children: Georgia, William and Anna. His favorite artist is Caravaggio and his favorite aspect of being involved with the board is the opportunity to indirectly encourage the creative endeavors of undergraduates at SCU as well as local children who visit the Museum.

Dan Reid

William Rewak, S.J.

Fr. Rewak is chancellor and former president of Santa Clara University. As chancellor, Rewak has several responsibilities ranging from representing the president at public events to pulling together a campus art committee. Among these tasks, he works to keep former trustees involved with the University, chairs the nomination of commencement speaker and honorary degree recipients, and helps promote University relations. He joined the Museum Enhancement Board in 2012.

Sharon Yoerg

Sharon joined the Museum Enhancement Board in 2008 at the suggestion of a fellow board member, Paula Kirkeby. She is interested in helping the Museum reach broader audiences and cultivate support within the community. Sharon has worked in various high schools throughout the Bay Area and has experience in the field of education both in the classroom as a teacher and outside the classroom as a Resource Specialist, Peer Program Coordinator, Educational Consultant, and Conflict Resolution Trainer. Aside from her interest in travel, she enjoys collecting art and antique objects. Sharon's favorite part of the de Saisset Museum is the permanent California History exhibition and the docent-led tours offered to elementary school children.

Diane Jonte-Pace, Ex-officio

Diane currently serves as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and is a Professor in the Department of Religious Studies. In her role as Vice Provost her responsibilities are to support the Provost across a broad range of functions, overseeing the Museum as one of her areas. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Religion from UC Santa Cruz, a Masters of Arts from the University of Chicago Divinity School, and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Rebecca Schapp, Director, Ex-officio

Having earned both her Bachelor of Art and Masters of Arts with an emphasis on Arts Management from San Jose State University, Rebecca has worked at the de Saisset Museum for the past 30 years, serving in various positions and capacities. As the Director for the past 20 years, Rebecca supervises all artistic, educational, and collections programs, oversees fiscal management and fund raising activities, manages the volunteers and professional Museum staff, directs all long-term strategic planning efforts, and serves as the primary liaison between the Museum and the University. She loves traveling to the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, and Canada) and to Europe, particularly to Berlin, Germany, where several of her family members reside. Rebecca enjoys fiber, paper, and metal arts and likes bicycling, reading, walking, and having fun with family and friends.