Anna Thurston
About Anna Thurston
Anna Thurston serves as a Research Associate and UNEP Faith for Earth Liaison at the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, a position she has held since 2019. She has a diverse background in education and outreach, with previous roles at institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and Brigham Young University.
Work at Yale University
Anna Thurston has been employed at Yale University since 2019, serving as a Research Associate and UNEP Faith for Earth Liaison at the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology. In her role, she engages with various stakeholders to promote the integration of faith and environmental stewardship. Prior to her current position, she worked as a Graduate Teaching Fellow from 2017 to 2019 and organized the Yale Religion and Ecology Colloquium from 2016 to 2018. Her contributions to the university reflect a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches in addressing environmental issues.
Education and Expertise
Anna Thurston holds a Master of Environmental Management (M.E.M.) from Yale School of the Environment, which she completed from 2017 to 2019. Additionally, she earned a Master of Arts in Religion (M.A.R.) from Yale Divinity School between 2016 and 2019. Her academic background is complemented by a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Brigham Young University, where she studied from 2007 to 2014. This educational foundation supports her expertise in environmental management and religious studies.
Previous Positions and Experience
Before her tenure at Yale, Anna Thurston held various positions that contributed to her professional development. She worked as an Education Coordinator at the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden for four months in 2013. Additionally, she served as a Humanitarian Outreach Coordinator at the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies in 2014. Her experience also includes roles at the New Haven Land Trust, where she was a Community Garden Intern and Projects Coordinator, and at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection as an Education and Gallery Intern.
Professional Involvement at Brigham Young University
At Brigham Young University, Anna Thurston held multiple roles that enhanced her professional skills. She served as an Instructor in the Department of French and Italian from 2012 to 2014 and worked as a Curatorial Intern of Contemporary Art at the BYU Museum of Art from 2012 to 2013. These positions provided her with valuable teaching and curatorial experience, contributing to her overall expertise in education and the arts.
Work at Harvard University
Anna Thurston also gained experience at Harvard University, where she worked in Visitor Services at the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology from 2015 to 2016. This role involved engaging with visitors and enhancing their understanding of the museums' collections, further diversifying her professional background in educational and cultural institutions.