Brandie Smith

Dr. Brandie Smith is the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. With decades of experience in animal care, conservation, and zoo management, she has overseen critical breeding programs for endangered species and has personally witnessed some of the most dramatic moments in panda conservation history at one of America’s premier zoos. Originally from Indiana, Pennsylvania, she grew up around animals and began her professional career as an intern at the Pittsburgh Zoo and the National Zoo.