This week’s open threads will highlight more African-American scientists and their contributions to fabric of American science.
Lisa Stevens became a familiar face (and voice) in 2005 when panda cub Tai Shan was born at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. As manager of the giant panda program for the past 20 years, she often spoke to the public and to media about how the little ball of furry cuteness was faring. Before joining the zoo’s staff, she held positions as a field research assistant, in pet and aquarium retail, veterinary clinic operations, insect zoo husbandry and interpretation, and riding stable management (she’s an avid rider and horse owner). She has a bachelor’s degree in zoology and pre-veterinary medicine from Michigan State University and attended the AZA School for Professional Management Development for Zoo and Aquarium Personnel.
Lisa Marie Stevens is known to her friends as a smart, attractive, well-traveled woman who rides her horse once a week, has four dogs, a cat and a corn snake, speaks two foreign languages and has lived and worked in more than a dozen countries.
But to hundreds of millions of people all over the world, she is known simply as “the Panda lady.” For the last 18 years Stevens, who spent most of her early childhood with her military family in Thailand and Okinawa, has managed all aspects of the giant panda program at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.
Since Ling Ling and Tsing Tsing had twins in 1987, Stevens, has been the face of America’s pandas. Stevens, who has worked at the zoo for 26 years, is responsible for all aspects of the panda operations, including the budget, exhibit design, construction and supervising personnel. She is also responsible for the zoo’s primates, which include the gorillas, orangutans, gibbons and macaques.
Stevens was reported as holding the title of curator of the primates at the National Zoological Park.