We are sorry to announce that Dr Melanie Quin, the first Executive Director of Ecsite-UK (later ASDC) died in Sydney, Australia, on 19th August, 2025.
During the 1980s, Melanie ran the Nuffield Foundation’s Interactive Science and Technology Project in London which established the first networking organisation for the emerging science centres.
She became Ecsite director in 1991-1992, when the Ecsite office was located in Heureka, Finland, and was one of the earliest champions for science centres in Europe.
After leading Ecsite, she continued to edit its newsletter and worked at Nemo in Amsterdam, and then at Techniquest in Cardiff. Her Techniquest roles included leading their Master’s degree programme in Communicating Science.
Moving once more to London, she became the first Executive Director of Ecsite-UK in 2001, immediately recruiting more than 50 institutional members. She established a working structure for the association, achieved its initial funding from the Wellcome Trust, set up an office with the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and worked tirelessly as an advocate on behalf of the sector.
In 2006, she changed career and became a teacher of English in Turkey, France and Australia.
People who knew her will remember and value Melanie for her enthusiasm, her wit and her contributions to the field as a highly skilled writer, editor and ambassador. She was a great ‘people person’ and – perhaps a lesser-known skill – a talented artist.
We are extremely grateful to Melanie for the passion and care she poured into creating a collaborative network of science and discovery centres. We are continuing her legacy - building the community, and using our collective power to advocate for the sector as she would have done.
This obituary was written in part by Colin Johnson and Per-Edvin Persson, formerly of Techniquest and Heureka