Prof. Cindee Millard

Education

B.B.A. Marketing and Management, Baylor University
M.A. Communication, Baylor University

Academic and Professional Interests

Cindee Millard is the Public & Community Engagement Manager with Baylor University’s Mayborn Museum. A native Wacoan, Prof. Millard received her B.B.A. in Marketing and Management from Baylor University and holds a M.A. in Communication from Baylor University with a concentration in organizational communication.  She combines her knowledge of community engagement trends and academic institution best practices with her many years of non-profit experience in Waco to collaborate with the Mayborn Museum’s adult audiences and community partners. 

During her nearly 15 years at the Mayborn Museum, Prof. Millard’s passion for Waco’s different communities has led to incorporating the principles of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion into the Mayborn Museum’s adult programming.  Her work has yielded dynamic projects that highlight Hispanic Heritage Month and Native American Heritage Month. She led the transition of Baylor’s Lifelong Learning programming to the Mayborn Museum in 2020 and continues to lead the curriculum and course management for more than 540 Mayborn Museum members aged 55 and older.  Prof. Millard continues her work with numerous non-profits and community organizations collaborating on projects and programs to provide relevant museum programming for diverse audiences.

Prof. Millard’s professional achievements include fellowships with the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) in Partners in Technology Community Science in 2020 and the Thriving Earth Exchange Community Science in 2023. She has presented her work at several museum conferences including the Smithsonian Affiliates Virtual Conference and the Southeastern Museum Conference as well as to audiences at the Mayborn Museum. 

Prof. Millard regularly develops and directs community forums and convenes diverse voices on relevant DEAI topics. She also serves on a number of community boards in the Waco area including the Centex African American Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Board, the National Women in Agriculture Association Board, and the Informal Learning Network of Waco. 

Prof. Millard resides in Waco, Texas with her husband Mike.  They enjoy time spent visiting with their adult children and traveling. 

What is your favorite museum?

When I was young every Friday afternoon in the summer became an adventure. My mother found places all over Waco to continue my informal learning long before the term was mainstream.  My favorite place was Baylor University’s Strecker Museum.  Housed in the basement of the Sid Richardson Building it held mysteries in every corner. Except for the two pieces that remain in the Mayborn Museum’s Cabinets of Curiosity, the cross section of a tree and the humpback whale skull, I cannot remember the collections I saw so many years ago.  What I do remember is the feeling the museum gave me and the sense of wonder that has carried throughout my life. 

Since that time, I have had the opportunity to visit so many incredible museums, libraries, and gardens. Internationally, it’s hard to beat the universal fame of the Louvre, the awe-inspiring Dutch masters in Rijksmuseum, or the expansiveness of the Hermitage Museum.  The extensive collections of visual delights of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, the pure science fun of the Exploratorium in San Francisco, and the lush, immersive gardens and art at Crystal Bridges in Bentonville all take my breath away when I visit these American treasures.

So, for me it’s not about a favorite museum but about a favorite feeling museums evoke in me.  Fortunately, I still carry that sense of wonder and usually come away with a “new” favorite each time I visit another museum.

Primary Courses Taught

• Special Topics - Adult Museum Programming (G)