Ellen Tepfer is manager of teaching strategies at the Whitney Museum of American Art and a passionate advocate for the possibility of art to make meaningful connections in people’s lives. Tepfer began her career in academia but moved into museum education to develop creative ways to engage more deeply with a wider range of audiences as active participants. At the Whitney, she works across the education department to develop expansive pedagogical, mentoring and training initiatives to foster visitor-centered engagement in the galleries that meet the needs of the museum’s varied audiences. Partnering with The Empathy Project and the NYU Grossman School of Medicine has brought exciting opportunities for arts programming to connect with people in new and important ways, focusing on teaching empathy, team building and community repair through the unique power of art.