This biographical article is written like a résumé. (February 2022) |
Lisa Marie Stevens | |
---|---|
Citizenship | American |
Alma mater | Michigan State University |
Known for | Giant panda and primate programs |
Scientific career | |
Institutions | Smithsonian Institution's National Zoo |
Lisa Marie Stevens is an American retired zoologist who served as the senior curator for mammals, and managed both the giant panda program and the primate program, at the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoo. She worked at the National Zoo from 1978 to her retirement in 2011.[1] She managed the National Zoo's panda breeding program as early as 1987, but rose to national prominence following the birth of panda cub Tai Shan in 2005.[2]
Internationally known as "the Panda Lady,"[3] her responsibilities as a curator at the National Zoo included overseeing the budget, exhibit design, construction, and supervising personnel. She was also responsible for the zoo's primates, including gorillas, orangutans, gibbons, and macaques.[4] She is included in the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Spotlight on African American Scientists.[5]