Women to Watch: Brenna Holzhauer

GROWING UP IN WISCONSIN, Brenna Holzhauer fostered a strong connection with nature from an early age. Now, she shares her love for the outdoors as the director of exhibits and digital curriculum at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, where she leads innovative efforts to reach new audiences and educate them about the environment.

She recently managed the grand opening of the new Immersion Theater exhibit, the only one of its kind in the country, which engages visitors with software and encourages them to explore our space in Wisconsin and the world. “These days, the truth is people need to be technologically literate,” Holzhauer says. “But there’s a thoughtful way to use technology to complement natural experiences and build off of them.”

In 2016, she’s working on new programs for Spanish-speaking audiences, overseeing the launch of a new online educators’ portal, and enhancing the Immersion Theater through curriculum development and customizable software, which has the capability to show guests every star in the sky, or how seasons change.

“Software can help explain one of our main missions—that everything is connected.”