Dr Jessica Burdge

Jess became the Assistant Director, University Collections and Museums, in 2023. She previously joined the University as Collections Curator (Museums) before becoming Head of Museum and Photographic Collections.

After completing undergraduate and MLitt degrees at St Andrews, Jess became a curator working across independent, national and university museums. From 2010, she was Collections Care Project Manager for National Museums Scotland, working on the Royal Museum Project to deliver 16 fully refurbished galleries, as well as major storage improvement and relocation projects.

Since returning to St Andrews, Jess has studied part-time towards a PhD alongside work, and graduated in summer 2023.

Now with responsibility for University Collections and Museums, Jess leads the teams that steward and share the nationally and internationally important collections across Archives, Rare Books, Museum and Photographic Collections, engaging audiences at the Wardlaw Museum and Bell Pettigrew Museum.

She is committed to creating opportunities for users to engage with these collections at museum venues as well as in our research and seminar spaces at Martyr’s Kirk.

Her team are active partners in University research and teaching, and have the bold ambition to engage people everywhere with the intellectual and cultural life of St Andrews, sparking curiosity and conversations.

She is currently (2022-) the Convener of the University Museums in Scotland group (UMIS).