Brittany Myburgh

In a career marked by an ability to adapt and evolve, one of the greatest lessons Dr Brittany Myburgh has learnt over the years is the value of remaining open to new possibilities.

As an art historian and educator, Brittany has spent the last decade bridging historical research with community-centred initiatives. She’s worked not just in public institutions and traditional academic contexts, but also with grassroots projects and in emerging tech spaces. Central to her work is a desire to create scalable models for making tech education more inclusive, especially for groups who’ve often been left out of discussions about AI and digital innovation.

Working with institutions and communities that are often under-resourced can have its challenges, though, and Brittany has had to find ways “to lead without waiting for perfect conditions”.

“I’ve had to learn how to move forward with limited budgets, shifting policies, or slow institutional change, and still hold space for innovation and care. I’ve had to become more comfortable with uncertainty and more attuned to the importance of trust, relationships and long-term thinking,” she says.

“The most important lesson has been that meaningful work doesn’t always look like rapid progress. These environments have taught me to lead with flexibility, humility and deep respect for the communities I serve.”

These days, Brittany is an assistant professor of art history and curator of the Permanent Art Collection at Jackson State University in Mississippi. She also co-directs the Mississippi AI Collaborative, a statewide initiative focused on equity and innovation in technological education, and is co-chair of Southern Spark: A Southern Tech Conference. In 2022, she was named Mississippi Humanities Teacher of the Year.

Brittany’s road to the Deep South came after she graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts in art history. She then went on to complete a PhD in art history at the University of Toronto, before eventually settling in the United States.

“I originally imagined a more traditional academic path focused on art history and museum work, but over time I found myself increasingly drawn to interdisciplinary, public-facing and systems-level projects,” says Brittany. “I’ve moved between classrooms, galleries, tech workshops and policy tables, and sometimes all in the same week. That fluidity wasn’t part of the plan, but it’s become central to how I work.”

She says her studies at the University of Auckland provided her with an intellectual foundation that continues to shape her work today.

“My time there, particularly within the fine arts, art history, and English departments, helped me develop a research practice that values both academic rigour and cultural responsiveness. Courses in Māori art, Pacific history and postcolonial theory sharpened my awareness of how knowledge is produced, who it serves and the responsibilities that come with that awareness.”

Of particular influence were courses taught by Dr Jan Cronin, Dr Nina Tonga and Dr Ngarino Ellis.

“These educators shaped how I understand visual culture and helped orient my academic path toward principles that continue to guide my teaching, research and leadership today.”

Brittany hopes to return to Aotearoa one day to play her own role in cultivating the next generation of Kiwi academics.

“I would also hope to contribute to bicultural academic leadership in a way that uplifts Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a living commitment, not just a policy.”