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[Skip to main content](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/2026/03/have-you-met-jill-horbay.html#main) [](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/index.html) Search Within ualberta.ca People Programs Services Quick Links - [Email + Apps](https://apps.ualberta.ca/) - [Bear Tracks](https://www.beartracks.ualberta.ca/) - [Canvas](https://canvas.ualberta.ca/) - [Find a Person](https://apps.ualberta.ca/directory) - [Maps](https://www.ualberta.ca/maps) - [Library](https://library.ualberta.ca/) News + Events - [Folio](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/folio/index.html) - [The Quad](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/index.html) - [New Trail](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/newtrail/index.html) - [YouAlberta](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/youalberta/index.html) - [Events](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/events/index.html) - [Prospective Students](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/admissions-programs/index.html) - [Current Students](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/current-students/index.html) - [Associations](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/groups-and-associations/index.html) - [Alumni + Friends](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/alumni/index.html) - [Give to the U of A](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/giving/index.html) - [Careers](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/careers.html) - [Indigenous Initiatives](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/indigenous/index.html) - [Access, Community + Belonging](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/access-community-belonging/index.html) - [Support During a Crisis](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/campus-life/supports-available-during-a-crisis.html) - [In The Community](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/in-the-community.html) [In The Community](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/in-the-community.html) - [Profiles](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/profiles.html) [Profiles](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/profiles.html) - [Leadership Messages](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/leadership-messages.html) [Leadership Messages](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/leadership-messages.html) - [Series](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/series.html) [Series](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/series.html) - [About the Quad](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/about/index.html) [About the Quad](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/about/index.html) [](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/index.html) Have You Met # Have You Met Jill Horbay? Meet Jill Horbay, Manager, Museum Programs and Outreach. March 12, 2026  ### What is your first U of A memory? The University of Alberta has been such a large part of my life — it’s hard to remember my first memory! I remember getting U of A sweats and a hoodie as a gift and shopping at the Bookstore, I remember dance competitions at Myer Horowitz and getting lost in HUB Mall. I remember rehearsals and concerts at Convocation Hall and the Fine Arts Building. The U of A was the setting for a lot of stages in my life. ### What’s something your coworkers don’t know about you? I think most of my colleagues in the Museums unit already know this — but to the rest of my campus colleagues — I tap dance! I danced a lot growing up (hence the competitions at Myer Horowitz), and started again with an adult tap class about 10 years ago. We have a lot of fun and performing on a stage is a lot less scary now compared to when I was a kid. ### What’s your favourite distraction? I love to read. I’m dedicated to the 50-book challenge (trying to read 50 books a year), and typically end up surpassing it. The easiest way to get me talking is about what book I’m reading or what book I would recommend. I take book recommendations very seriously if you ask me, so be warned\! ### If you were enrolling in one course, program or degree right now, what would it be? I would have liked to go into business. I really enjoy the aspects of my job related to project management, communications and leadership. So I like to think that in another life I would have really enjoyed taking a business degree. ### You can invite anyone — alive or dead, real or fictional — to dinner. Who would it be? I would like to have dinner with Josh Gates. He’s a television personality / host on the Discovery Channel and is always exploring the world’s greatest mysteries. Where did Blackbeard hide his treasure? Can you clone a woolly mammoth? What really happened at the Dyatlov Pass? I would have endless amounts of questions for him. ### If you could see any live performance tomorrow, what would it be? I’d go see Harry Styles in concert. I would dance and sing the entire time and would have an absolute blast. ### What advice would you give your 18-year-old self? I would say to take advantage of every opportunity and just have fun. There will be times when life is hard, so enjoy the good times with family and friends. ### What’s one thing you can’t live without? Sunshine! If I’m having a bad day, feeling the sun can really turn it all around. My home faces east and one of my favourite things is to sit out on my patio just enjoying the rays. ### What three words describe your U of A experience? Enduring. Transformative. Potential. ### Do you have any upcoming projects or initiatives you are looking forward to at work? There are so many exciting things happening with the U of A Museums. We are all looking forward to the opening of the [Kenneth and Sandra Wong Gallery](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/museums/about/the-kenneth-and-sandra-wong-gallery.html) in the Telus International Centre in 2027. We are currently working on our inaugural exhibition for the space and it’s really going to be amazing! We have a full summer of exciting programs coming up — a continuation of our popular [Midday Musings](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/museums/visit-explore/public-programs/midday-musings.html) series and some new programs as well. Our summer internship will be beginning soon and we also have some fun community partnerships in the works — such as working with the Edmonton Public Library — that allow us to share all of our amazing collections with an even wider audience. ### What is your favourite item from the U of A’s collections? It’s an impossible question to answer. We have over 10 million objects in the 30 different U of A Museums [collections](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/museums/museum-collections/index.html) — most of which I know I haven’t seen. So really, my favourite object or specimen is always the one I’m going to see next! Each object has a story to tell and all of the staff, curators and researchers in our collections do such an amazing job allowing that to happen. The U of A is truly very privileged to have such amazing collections and world-class researchers. ### Are there any items or collections from U of A Museums that you wish more people knew about? I hear “I didn’t know the university had museums” way too often — so maybe all of them? With the opening of the new Kenneth and Sandra Wong Gallery and future exhibitions, programs and events, I’m hoping that statement will become a thing of the past. ***  ### About Jill Jill joined the U of A Museums in 2015 and is now the Manager, Museum Programs and Outreach. She is passionate about exhibition, community engagement, communication and the UAM student program. Jill is a graduate of the U of A Faculty of Arts as well as Simon Fraser University’s Public Relations program. - [Share](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/2026/03/have-you-met-jill-horbay.html) - [Post](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/2026/03/have-you-met-jill-horbay.html) - [Share](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/2026/03/have-you-met-jill-horbay.html) ![]() 

### What is your first U of A memory? The University of Alberta has been such a large part of my life — it’s hard to remember my first memory! I remember getting U of A sweats and a hoodie as a gift and shopping at the Bookstore, I remember dance competitions at Myer Horowitz and getting lost in HUB Mall. I remember rehearsals and concerts at Convocation Hall and the Fine Arts Building. The U of A was the setting for a lot of stages in my life. ### What’s something your coworkers don’t know about you? I think most of my colleagues in the Museums unit already know this — but to the rest of my campus colleagues — I tap dance! I danced a lot growing up (hence the competitions at Myer Horowitz), and started again with an adult tap class about 10 years ago. We have a lot of fun and performing on a stage is a lot less scary now compared to when I was a kid. ### What’s your favourite distraction? I love to read. I’m dedicated to the 50-book challenge (trying to read 50 books a year), and typically end up surpassing it. The easiest way to get me talking is about what book I’m reading or what book I would recommend. I take book recommendations very seriously if you ask me, so be warned\! ### If you were enrolling in one course, program or degree right now, what would it be? I would have liked to go into business. I really enjoy the aspects of my job related to project management, communications and leadership. So I like to think that in another life I would have really enjoyed taking a business degree. ### You can invite anyone — alive or dead, real or fictional — to dinner. Who would it be? I would like to have dinner with Josh Gates. He’s a television personality / host on the Discovery Channel and is always exploring the world’s greatest mysteries. Where did Blackbeard hide his treasure? Can you clone a woolly mammoth? What really happened at the Dyatlov Pass? I would have endless amounts of questions for him. ### If you could see any live performance tomorrow, what would it be? I’d go see Harry Styles in concert. I would dance and sing the entire time and would have an absolute blast. ### What advice would you give your 18-year-old self? I would say to take advantage of every opportunity and just have fun. There will be times when life is hard, so enjoy the good times with family and friends. ### What’s one thing you can’t live without? Sunshine! If I’m having a bad day, feeling the sun can really turn it all around. My home faces east and one of my favourite things is to sit out on my patio just enjoying the rays. ### What three words describe your U of A experience? Enduring. Transformative. Potential. ### Do you have any upcoming projects or initiatives you are looking forward to at work? There are so many exciting things happening with the U of A Museums. We are all looking forward to the opening of the [Kenneth and Sandra Wong Gallery](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/museums/about/the-kenneth-and-sandra-wong-gallery.html) in the Telus International Centre in 2027. We are currently working on our inaugural exhibition for the space and it’s really going to be amazing! We have a full summer of exciting programs coming up — a continuation of our popular [Midday Musings](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/museums/visit-explore/public-programs/midday-musings.html) series and some new programs as well. Our summer internship will be beginning soon and we also have some fun community partnerships in the works — such as working with the Edmonton Public Library — that allow us to share all of our amazing collections with an even wider audience. ### What is your favourite item from the U of A’s collections? It’s an impossible question to answer. We have over 10 million objects in the 30 different U of A Museums [collections](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/museums/museum-collections/index.html) — most of which I know I haven’t seen. So really, my favourite object or specimen is always the one I’m going to see next! Each object has a story to tell and all of the staff, curators and researchers in our collections do such an amazing job allowing that to happen. The U of A is truly very privileged to have such amazing collections and world-class researchers. ### Are there any items or collections from U of A Museums that you wish more people knew about? I hear “I didn’t know the university had museums” way too often — so maybe all of them? With the opening of the new Kenneth and Sandra Wong Gallery and future exhibitions, programs and events, I’m hoping that statement will become a thing of the past. ***  ### About Jill Jill joined the U of A Museums in 2015 and is now the Manager, Museum Programs and Outreach. She is passionate about exhibition, community engagement, communication and the UAM student program. Jill is a graduate of the U of A Faculty of Arts as well as Simon Fraser University’s Public Relations program.