Pictured (L-R): Kira McCallum, Sandra Poczobut
Museum London awards annual scholarships to emerging arts professionals in memory of the late Melanie A. Townsend and Steve Mavers. These scholarships are made possible through the generosity and contributions of our community members. Melanie and Steve were cherished members of the Museum London team, each leaving an exceptional legacy through their countless contributions and dedicated work. These scholarships honour their lives and the significant impacts they made at ML and throughout the broader community.
The Melanie A. Townsend Scholarship in Museum and Curatorial Studies is designed to assist students at Western University who demonstrate exceptional dedication to curation, museum studies and museology.
The Steve Mavers Scholarship in Arts Education is designed to support students at Western University who are poised to make an impact in the field of arts education and in the lives of learners of all ages.
Join us in congratulating our 2025 scholarship awardees, Kira McCallum and Sandra Poczobut!
2025 Melanie A. Townsend Scholarship for Museum and Curatorial Studies Winner
Kira McCallum is a Jamaican-Canadian student at Western University, pursuing a double Major in Museum and Curatorial Studies and the School for Advanced Studies in Arts and Humanities (SASAH). Her curatorial perspective is shaped by a deep interest in the intersections of culture, history, and identity, especially within diasporic and postcolonial contexts. She sees curatorial practice as a space for critical reflection and storytelling—one that can bridge the past with the present while creating room for dialogue and cultural continuity.
Rooted in her dual heritage, Kira is particularly drawn to how museums and galleries can challenge dominant narratives, foster empathy, and honour the lived experiences of historically marginalized communities. She is committed to creating thoughtful, inclusive spaces that engage with global histories while remaining grounded in local and personal connections. Kira envisions a curatorial practice that not only preserves the past but activates it - encouraging audiences to think critically, feel deeply, and connect across time and culture.
2025 Steve Mavers Scholarship for Arts Education Winner
Sandra Poczobut is an educator, artist and researcher currently completing a PhD at the Faculty of Education in Curriculum Studies at Western University. Her creative outputs take the form of installation, performance and arts-informed research. Sandra is committed to the arts as a multi-literacy that is critical and essential in creating equitable openings for learners across lifespans.
Her current PhD work looks at the role of an atelierista, an artist/educator/pedagogue, in supporting the development of equitable academic reading pedagogies through professional learning for teacher educators.