Under her leadership, the Ulrich has launched ambitious initiatives that have reshaped how the museum connects with its students, its city, and its public — including the Ulrich Co-Lab, a multi-year curatorial experiment in shared authorship, and the Adopt-a-Sculpture: Art Matters Campaign, which has brought renewed attention to the nationally recognized Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection. Each year, the Ulrich welcomes thousands of visitors, students, and community members through exhibitions, public programs, and educational partnerships rooted in dialogue and access.

A museologist and arts leader, Zavataro currently serves as Executive and Creative Director of the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University. With more than a decade of professional experience in the museum and cultural sector since 2011, she has dedicated her career to advancing audience-centered, experimental curatorial practice and to building institutions that serve their communities with intention and care.

At the Ulrich, she has led major initiatives in strategic planning, reaccreditation, fundraising, and institutional growth, while developing ambitious exhibitions and public programs that engage urgent questions of identity, migration, civic life, and collective authorship. Previously, as Director and Chief Curator of the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art at the University of Nevada, Reno, she expanded operations, secured the museum’s endowment, transformed collections care, and built dynamic partnerships across campus and community. Her exhibitions have been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Terra Foundation for American Art, and her broader career includes earlier roles at documenta, the Nevada Museum of Art, and the Frans Hals Museum.

Zavataro has been recognized internationally for her contributions to contemporary curatorial practice, museum leadership, and community engagement, and remains actively engaged in field-wide dialogue through publications, conferences, and her ongoing doctoral research at the University of Reading. In 2026, she was honored with the American Alliance of Museums Mid-Career Professional Award. Through her leadership, she continues to advance models of museum practice that are scholarly, inclusive, generous, and accountable to the publics they serve.