1. Jessica Brownell
Wellington
New Zealand
Mobile: 022 037 1293
Email: jabrownell@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jessbrownell
Website: www.jessbrownell.com
Personal statement
People and making a difference are my passion. No matter what I’m doing, I love connecting with people
and building relationships however big or small, short or long. That’s what life is really all about, isn’t it?
I am an attentive, dependable, results-oriented professional offering over 4 years firsthand experience in
hospitality/tourism, museum/education, and a corporate/laboratory environment. My strengths include:
being a team player, great attention to detail, quick learner, multi-tasking extraordinaire, excellent
communication skills and working well under pressure.
Work history: Performing Arts/Tourism/Education
Visitor Services Host Supervisor, Space Place, Experience Wellington, Wellington, NZ
December 2015 – PRESENT
Working alongside the casual staff, I lead by example and help to create a welcoming and exciting
atmosphere at the Space Place. My goal is always to encourage people to have a fun and memorable
experience while learning something at the same time!
Responsibilities:
• Undertaking of Retail, Hosting and Tour duties including birthday parties
• Hosting foreign tourism visitors in various languages
• Supervising and training casual staff
• Helping with the implementation of an online shop and ticketing system
• Working with the communications team on website content to ensure clarity for guests
Artistic Director/Producer/Marketing Coordinator, just be productions
May 2015 – PRESENT
As a self-producer, I have organised two productions: one in Philadelphia, PA, USA and one in Wellington,
NZ. Included in these production processes were marketing campaigns, media releases and making
media connections.
Responsibilities:
• Updating and maintaining WordPress websites
• Advertising via social media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
• Designing all marketing material including but not limited to: posters, flyers, signs
• Writing media releases, website content and advertising copy
Actor/Storyteller/First Person Historical Interpreter, Historic Philadelphia, Inc, Philadelphia, PA, USA
March 2011 – October 2015
I taught American history to thousands of guests from all over the world annually through interactive
storytelling and first person historical interpretation. In my primary role of portraying Betsy Ross (credited
for making the first American flag) at the Betsy Ross House, I would talk to guests about Betsy’s life and
answer any questions; I brought history to life and created a memorable experience that left guests feeling
like they actually just spoke with Betsy Ross herself, and if I did my job, they learned something too!
Betsy Ross responsibilities:
• Developed programming on Betsy Ross and Philadelphia history to be shared formally and
informally to guests of all ages and backgrounds
• Entertaining and educating guests by portraying Betsy Ross in the house where it is believed she
sewed the first American flag in 1776
• Accurately answering detailed questions about the American Revolution, Philadelphia, 18th
century upholstery and Betsy Ross’ life as Betsy Ross in a specific year
• Managing the flow of up to 1500+ visitors through the house museum daily while performing as
Betsy Ross
• Making upholstery wares in the 18th
century style to create a realistic environment that allows
guests to step back in time and demonstrate what Betsy did for a living
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2. Jessica Brownell
• Hand-sewed approximately 1/3 of the Betsy Ross House project Dressing the Bed: a Living
Demonstration of 18th Century Needlework that won the American Association for State and
Local History’s 2015 Leadership in History Award and appeared in the 25 June 2015 New York
Times article entitled “Museums Are Trying New Things in the Bedroom”
Storyteller responsibilities:
• Guiding school groups of up to 30-40 youths plus chaperones through historic Old City
Philadelphia, stopping to tell stories about American history (called Storystrolls)
Guide, Christ Church Preservation Trust, Philadelphia, PA, USA
September 2013 – October 2015
As a guide for both Christ Church and the Christ Church Burial Ground I educated guests on the history of
the church, burial ground and some of the notable people who have been associated with the church,
primarily those during the American Revolution.
Responsibilities:
• Taking guests on tours of the church and the burial ground and teaching them the history of the
site and people associated with the church
• Selling merchandise in the gift shop and collecting admissions at the burial ground
Standardized Patient (i.e Simulated Patient),
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
June 2013 – October 2015
College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
September 2013 – October 2015
I portrayed patient scenarios for the instruction, practice, and assessment of the examining, diagnostic,
and interpersonal skills of medical students, nursing students, fellows, residents and other health care
providers.
Responsibilities:
• Accurately and realistically portraying a variety of patient scenarios, both scripted and non-
scripted, clinical and psychological
• Creating a safe and supportive environment where students experience real-world scenarios to
aide in enhancing their medical skills
• Giving both written and oral feedback on the interpersonal skills observed during encounters
Work history: Science
Staff Chemist, Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA, USA
December 2006 – November 2010
I performed HPLC method development and validation on new PCCs and drug formulations entering
Safety Assessment (SA) studies. Using the methods I developed, I assessed the chemical stability of the
PCCs and all SA formulations and then regularly performed Dose Form Assays.
Responsibilities:
• Performing HPLC method development and validation for stability-indicating and concentration-
only assessment of PCCs and SA formulations
• Assessing chemical stability of PCCs and all SA formulations prior to SA studies
• Regularly analysing samples of SA formulations used in the animal studies (Dose Form Assays)
• Reporting the results of stability testing and Dose Form Assays in a timely manner
• Co-leading the automated sample preparation for Dose Form Assays using the TPW II
• Writing detailed and accurate reports, memos, SOPs and other official documentation
• Peer reviewing laboratory notebooks and official documentation
Chemist, Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Merck & Co., Inc. West Point, PA, USA
August 2008 – January 2009
In this rotation into the Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences department, I performed physical and chemical
characterisation and assessed probe chemical stability, forced degradation and physical stability on pre-
PCCs and PCCs.
Responsibilities:
• Performing physical and chemical characterisation on pre-PCCs and PCCs along with assessing
probe chemical stability, forced degradation and physical stability on drug formulations
• Accurately analysing drug formulations and reporting the results in a timely manner
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3. Jessica Brownell
• Gave a formal presentation to the Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry department (GLP and
GMP chemists) detailing the work I performed during this rotation
Summer Researcher, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
June 2005 – August 2005
I worked with a graduate student (Junha Jeon) in Dr. Thomas R. Hoye’s lab on the synthesis of (+)-
gigantecin, a novel tetrahydroxy-di-tetrahydrofuran fatty acid gamma-lactone (acetogenin). My role was to
synthesise and then purify fragment 3 of (+)-gigantecin and its precursors; TLC and MPLC were used for
purification. In March 2006, I was selected to give a poster presentation at the 231st American Chemical
Society National Meeting, Atlanta, GA, USA; Poster title: Towards the total synthesis of (+)-Gigantecin:
Synthesis and purification of fragment 3 and its precursors.
Summer Researcher, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
June 2004 – August 2004
Under the supervision of then graduate student Brian Clowers in the lab of Dr. Herbert H. Hill, I performed
structural characterization of carbohydrates derived from extracellular polymeric substances using ion-trap
mass spectrometry and ion mobility mass spectrometry. I also helped build an IMS that coupled with a
time-of-flight (TOF) MS.
Summer Researcher, Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA, USA
June 2003 – August 2003
Working directly with Dr. Scott Stout, I performed organometallic synthesis to produce 5-coordinate
hypervalent tin compounds bearing triarylmethyl "propeller" ligands; my focus was on synthesising the
novel hypervalent tin compounds with bromide ligands. Using multi-nuclear NMR, I characterised the
compounds I synthesised.
Work history: Hospitality
Server/Bartender, Five-Star Staffing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
June 2013 – October 2015
I worked as both a server and bartender for a variety of events: corporate meetings and meals, weddings,
parties and in-home meals/parties. In this role, I was responsible for meeting both guest and supervisor
needs while still providing excellent customer service in a fast-paced environment.
Singing Server, Spirit of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
February 2012 – May 2013
I worked as a singing server and had to manage my time between serving and performing while
continuing to meet guest and supervisor needs and continuing to provide excellent customer service in a
fast-paced environment, and always with a smile!
Education
Bachelor of Arts (Scholars Program), (chemistry major, theatre minor)
Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA, USA 2006 (transcript available upon request)
Study Abroad: May 2005 – Coe College, Paris and Southern France
Fall 2005 – Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Accomplishments:
• Worked as a lab assistant in the chemistry department for 3 years
• Performed in 2 main stage productions (Trojan Woman, 2004 and Don Juan Comes Back from
the War, 2005)
• Played trumpet in symphonic band and sang in choir as part of performance scholarship
• Public Relations Chair for sorority Alpha Omicron Pi, 2004/2005
Interests and Hobbies
I am a very active person and have a wide variety of interests: hiking, swimming, running, singing,
dancing, playing the trumpet, crocheting and hand-sewing. Each year I like to challenge myself and learn
something new; this year my goal is to learn how to play the guitar!
Referees
Art Ryan, Program Manager
Historic Philadelphia, Inc.
Phone: (01) 215 629 5801 x208
Email: ArtRyan@historicphiladelphia.org
Tracy Stedall
Visitor Services Coordinator
Cable Car Museum and Space Place
Phone: (04) 815 8308
Email: tracy.stedall@wmt.org.nz
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