Spartan Profiles: Lisa Stevens

PANDAMONIUM AT THE ZOO

            According to one national publication, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, the two pandas in the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park in Washington, DC, are the nation’s most important animals. The reason? They can command the nation’s attention and serve as great symbols for conservation. One person sympathetic to this view is Lisa Stevens, ’77, senior curator for mammals at the National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC.

            For the past 15 years, Stevens has managed all aspects of, and served as spokesperson for the giant panda program. “Not only that, they also serve as symbols for endangered species and for diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China,” says Stevens, who along with her team collaborates with the China Wildlife Conservation Association on the panda project. “It’s a real privilege for me to work with pandas. They are rare and endangered species, and very charismatic.”

            Dubbed the “Panda Lady” by the media, Lisa grew up as an Army brat, primarily in Thailand, and chose to attend MSU because “it was the most affordable school in the Northeast that had a veterinary medicine college.” She worked three years as an R.A. in Yakeley, and especially liked her zoology courses.

            “(The late) herpetologist Marv Hensley and entomologist Roland Fischer were marvelous teachers and great motivators,” she recalls, adding that she also enjoyed being exposed to farm animals. “It was a tremendous experience. As a member of Block & Bridle, I had an opportunity to show livestock.”

            She moved to Washington DC after graduation and has been with the National Zoo ever since. “The zoo business was changing then,” she recalls. “We were getting into self-sustaining populations of wildlife and away from being consumers. Today we maintain healthy animals and create enriched and complex environments where animals can thrive.” And, one might add, where they can mate.