Wisk Derifond, Senior Product Development Engineer, Research & Development, Disposables Haemonetics

WonderLab Museum is honored to welcome Wisk Derifond, MBA, to the WonderLab Board of Directors. Wisk is a Senior Product Development Engineer, Research & Development, at Haemonetics. Wisk joined the Board in July 2022. 

“I love science for many reasons,” said Wisk. “My father was a chemist who taught chemistry in high school back in my country. Therefore, early on as a kid, I was very into science subjects such as math, physics, and chemistry.”

Wisk, born and raised in Haiti, moved to the United States in 2010. He currently lives in Bloomington with his wife and their young son who are frequent WonderLab visitors. 

“My favorite thing (at WonderLab) – aside from the staff, which is amazing, very professional, and helpful! – is the Saltwater Aquarium because my son loves standing there and watching all the fish passing in front of him for hours,” said Wisk. “Of course, my personal favorite exhibit is the Magnetoscope.” 

“Wisk is a dynamic young professional with a deep interest in outreach,” said WonderLab Executive Director, Karen Jepson-Innes. “He wants to give back – to help young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, develop a science identity.”

Wisk is excited to take on such a substantial role in the museum and looks forward to all the good things that are coming in the future. During his term, he hopes to improve the museum by looking for better ways to provide the experience of science wonder to broader audiences. 

“Kids need to see it to be it,” said Wisk, adding that he wants to be a part of efforts that bring STEM opportunities to black and immigrant kids.

When considering WonderLab, Wisk noted that the museum is growing, learning, and changing just like all of the curious minds that enter the museum every day. 

“To me, science is a way of knowing about everything,” said Wisk. “It enables us to engage, to build more knowledge, or to use the information readily available to achieve greater changes. To grow towards being the best we can be.” 

According to Jepson-Innes, Wisk has indicated that he wants to give back as well as learn from the Board. Perhaps even use his experience with WonderLab as a model of how to build an organization that has an impact on the community. 

“My main goal as a board member is to continue to support the organization as much as I can and to learn,” said Wisk, “either by helping to solve problems or by using my experience and knowledge to help improve things.”