The landscape of British and European interactive science centres has lost one of its most influential architects with the passing of Melanie Quin at age 66. Her unique combination of charm, intelligence, and diplomatic skill made her an indispensable force in creating networks that connected science institutions across continents.
Building the Foundations of Science Communication
Born in London to Vera, a dyslexia assessor and author of Serbian origin, and Cormac Quin, a personnel officer for ICI, Melanie enjoyed a cosmopolitan upbringing. She attended the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington before progressing to St Paul's Girls School. Her academic journey continued at Imperial College, where she earned a BSc in botany in 1979, followed by an MSc and ultimately a PhD researching pollen distribution in 1984.
During her doctoral studies, Melanie occasionally appeared on Thames TV weather bulletins to present pollen counts, demonstrating an early talent for communicating scientific concepts to the public. After university, she initially worked as a science editor for Hobsons Publishing before finding her true calling.
Pioneering Science Centre Networks
In the mid-1980s, the Nuffield Foundation established its interactive science project as a resource and information exchange for the emerging hands-on science centres in the UK. Melanie Quin was appointed as its director, a role that perfectly matched her talents for connection and collaboration.
She dedicated herself to advising, encouraging, and linking everyone involved in the science centre movement. Her work provided vital connections between established centres and new startups like Stratosphere in Aberdeen and Bristol Exploratory. She also forged important links between UK institutions and more established science centres in the United States and elsewhere.
Her exceptional diplomatic skills and intellect made her widely respected throughout the community. In 1991, this reputation led to her appointment as director of Ecsite, a new European science centre network based at the Heureka science centre in Vantaa, Finland.
A Life of Diverse Achievements
Melanie's career continued to evolve with significant contributions across Europe. The following year she joined the development team for Amsterdam's Nemo science centre, where she worked until 1995. Returning to Britain, she took over the communicating science MSc programme at Techniquest in Cardiff, transforming it into one of the UK'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 adventurous spirit led to a career change in 2006 when she moved into teaching English as a foreign language, first in Istanbul and later in Lyon.
Throughout her busy professional life, Melanie maintained diverse interests as a talented artist, cookery enthusiast, and opera lover. In Lyon, she reconnected with an old university friend, Andy Wood, and they married in 2013. When work took them to Sydney, Melanie continued teaching until receiving a diagnosis of terminal liver disease last year.
She is survived by her husband Andy and her brother Thomas, leaving behind a transformed scientific landscape that bears the unmistakable imprint of her vision and dedication.
